


He's The Wolf

by Unknown



Category: She's the Man (2006), Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: ALL OF IT, ALL THE GAY, AU, F/M, Knotting, M/M, Mates, Mpreg, Pack, So..., Stiles doesn't know Derek's the alpha, all the knotting, all the m-preg, and it's pretty much She's The Man, and knotting, but Teen Wolf style, ha, i like the idea of mates is the thing, lydia's a witch, m-preg, or ass babies, what the hell is this?, whichever you prefer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-04
Updated: 2013-02-04
Packaged: 2017-11-28 05:53:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/671031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unknown/pseuds/Unknown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scott is Stiles' best friend. But when Scott simultaneously gets an invite into the local Pack and an invite to meet his mate’s family, he asks Stiles to cover him. Cue Stiles disguising himself as a wolf … and falling for the mysterious Derek Hale. He’s got a few questions though. First, where is the Pack’s Alpha? And second, can he keep his dual personalities – the 'Scott' the Pack knows as their brother, and the Stiles the Pack knows as Derek’s human boyfriend – apart?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Thank You, Amanda Bynes

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote this for the twholidays over on livejournal. It was for the glorious morganoconner. She liked it and I hope you guys will too!

“Scott, no. No,” Stiles says. He folds his arms across his chest and makes a face. “No means no, we’re not in kindergarten, you should understand this.” But then Scott is giving him the puppy-dog eyes and heh. Stiles just made a funny.  
  
“Stiles, Stiles, please. Please. You are my best friend. And Allison is my mate, I know she is. But I need to get to her. It’s now or never. I need you to please, please cover for me with the Pack.”  
  
Stiles sighs. Scott’s a werewolf, you see, and his Alpha abandoned him and got himself killed. Now, the Alpha’s nephew has taken up the mantle and is inviting Scott to join his Pack. Werewolves need Packs; they don’t survive long without them. But Scott needs to go get his mate, a girl named Allison. She comes from a family of hunters and now that her mother and grandfather are dead, her dad is giving Scott a chance to come up to where they live and prove that he’s good enough for her. The only problem is that her dad, Chris Argent, gave him a time limit. And so did the new Alpha.   
  
Scott, as usual, wants the best of both worlds. Hence, asking Stiles to cover for him.  
  
“Please, it’ll only be for a few months at most. I promise. And then, you can get on with your life and I can get on with mine with Allison and the Pack and I will never, ever bother you again. I love her, Stiles. I really do. And I need the Pack. So please, please help me out,” he begs. They’re sitting in Stiles’ room right now, the bedroom of the little apartment he set up for himself after high school. The plan had been to take a year off and put money aside for college, but now Scott needs him. And they haven’t been best friends since childhood for no reason.   
  
“…what’ll I even do?” Stiles moans and Scott’s already thanking him, hugging him, even dropping a sloppy wet kiss to his cheek because they are just that close. Brothers practically.   
  
“Oh man, I don’t know, but you’re the smart one. You’ll think of something I know you will. Shit, thanks, thank you Stiles, thank you so much,” and the smile on Scott’s face is worth it, totally worth all the pain of the next few months as Stiles pieces together what he needs to do. He packs Scott up, sends him on his way and then looks at the phone and debates on whether or not to call up the Alpha and tell him that Scott can’t make it to the first Pack meet. That, you know, mandatory one that initiates Scott into the Hale Pack. He sighs. This is going to be wonderful. What are they going to do when Scott doesn’t show up?  
  
Unless Scott _does_ show up.  
  
Oh my.  
  
This might be the worst plan in the history of the Universe, and Stiles may be borrowing a page from Amanda Bynes’ book, but he’s pretty sure that it’s the best plan he has so far. Because they don’t know what Scott looks like, or how he acts. All Stiles has to do is mask his own scent and hide out on full moons and he’ll get an in until Scott gets back to claim his place. And then he can make up some bullshit about a glamour or something.   
  
It’s perfect.   
  
Also: Stiles thinks he might die, so maybe it’s not that perfect. But it’s the best he’s got.   
***  
Scott’s clothes fit well enough and he’s sure he can mask most of his own personality enough to pass off as something akin to Scott so that when he comes back with his excuse the wolves won’t tear him down and refuse to believe it’s him. He’ll just warn Scott about it sometime before he comes home. No problem.   
  
He’s still freaked out as all hell.  
  
The Hale House, home of the Hale Pack, had been burned down years ago. Stiles’ dad had been the Sheriff in town back then, still was until he retired. It had been a tough time for all those involved. Peter Hale, Scott’s original Alpha, had gone on a turning spree before his nephew, the current Alpha, put an end to it when it cost him his sister’s life. He’d taken his own Betas now and was offering Scott a spot he so desperately needed. Stiles really hopes he can’t smell the human on him. He can always just blame it on himself.  
  
When he gets to the Hale House door, he’s not expecting a blonde girl to be standing guard. She immediately phases when he sees her and wow. He’s seen Scott as a wolf, but never anyone else. It’s amazing to point out the similarities and differences. And now he’s just being a geek. Imagine that.   
  
“The hell are you doing here?” she hisses between her fangs and sheesh. Talk about bitchy. Heh. He made another funny.  
  
“Um… I’m Scott McCall,” Stiles says. “You are…?”  
  
She relaxes. “Oh. You’re the new Beta Derek was telling us about.” She phases back to human form and gives him a sultry smile. “I’m Erica.”   
  
Stiles just blinks at her. “Hey there Erica. So um… where’s your Alpha?”  
  
A tall man, probably half a head taller than Stiles, walks out. He’s got piercing hazel eyes, and dark hair and scruff for a beard. The girl just raises an eyebrow and steps back to let him through, but doesn’t answer Stiles’ question. Whatever. “I’m Derek. You’re Scott McCall? The beta Alpha Peter turned?” And isn’t this beta formal?  
  
“Uh, yeah. Yep that’s me. Hi.” He waves lamely. Is there something he’s supposed to say.   
  
Derek gives him a once over, looking none too impressed. “Huh. Well. I thought you’d be…”  
  
“…more muscley?” Stiles asks, because that’s something Scott would ask. He’s sure of it.  
  
“Sure,” Erica says with a laugh. “That. Let’s go with that.” She sniffs him and makes a face. “Do you always smell like dying rabbits?” And oh god, that’s what Scott’s clothes smell like? Eeww, and Stiles packed a whole shit-load of them so he’d smell like Scott. This was clearly a bad idea.   
  
“I… I really like rabbits. Yeah. My favorite food,” Stiles says, making it up on the fly. Derek just looks amused, while Erica gives a shrug.  
  
“So does Isaac,” and then she’s gone.   
  
Derek shakes his head. “C’mon. I’ll show you you’re room and give you the five cent tour.” He walks into the house and Stiles follows because that’s what he generally does. Follow, that is.   
  
The house is gorgeous on the inside, hard wood flooring, steepled ceilings, marble fireplace. The stairs spiral up in the middle of the front hall and Derek leads him up them and into the left hall, down it and stops in front of a room. When he opens it, it’s empty save for a made-up bed, a dresser and a closet.  
  
“This is going to be your room Scott. If you find a mate while you’re with us, they’ll share with you. It’s a rule that Pack live together,” Derek asks. “It brings them closer together.”  
  
“Like a family,” Stiles says in understanding. And then he cringes. Scott is more the person who would ask why. Too late now. “So…” he says and then takes this as his Scott-Cue to mention Allison. Because Scott loves doing that. “I – uh… I have someone that I think is my prospective mate.”  
  
Derek stops and turns to him, raising an eyebrow. “Oh?”  
  
“Yeah, her name is Allison. She’s…” And shit. Um… he can’t really remember anything. Scott talks about her so much that Stiles usually blocks him out. “She’s amazing. Yeah. Um… she’s gorgeous and… an only child. And good with um… a bow. You know, the kind that you shoot arrows from?” Wow. Just – wow. Kill him now.  
  
Derek looks unimpressed. This is going well. “Well that’s… interesting. The Pack will have to meet her one day. Just so we can see who’s behind all this… fluster.” He motions to Stiles and then freezes. “Unless that’s how you are all the time.”  Stiles wants to say that _yes_ , Scott is always a mess but he means well, he really does, his heart is always in the right place. Instead, he just smiles and that seems to do the trick. “Right,” Derek says, “Dinner in ten.” And then he’s gone.  
  
“Fuck,” Stiles whispers under his breath, but then he stops because he remembers that wolves have super hearing so he shouldn’t say anything too incriminating. Who knows who could be listening in? He’s starting to unpack when he hears the door open and a blonde, curly-haired dude walks in. Stiles just stares. “Um… hi?”  
  
“Hey!” the guy says with a nod. “You need some help unpacking?” and he’s a bit awkward, but Stiles can tell he means well and that in real life, this guy and Scott would get along great.   
  
“Sure,” Stiles answers with a smile, because Scott would smile. Scott would also chat this dude up. “I’m Scott,” he says, the name too heavy in his mouth, but it would do for now.  
  
“Isaac,” the curly-haired dude answers with a small smile as he packs some of Scott’s stuff into the dresser.   
  
Stiles freezes. “Hey! You like rabbit.” Isaac blinks at him. Stiles back-peddles. “It’s just, that, um, that girl? Erica. Yeah. I like rabbit. She said you do too.”   
  
Isaac smiles at that. “Oh, ok. Yeah. Cool. No one else will ever go hunting with me. Boyd says they’re too bony, Erica and Derek don’t like them and Jackson says they’re gross but everyone knows that he won’t hunt them because killing Thumper makes him cry.” By the end of it, most of Scott’s clothes are put away and Stiles is left wishing he had his own. Isaac also has a huge grin on his face.   
  
“Jackson?” he asks, even though Stiles just wants to say that Isaac looks a lot more happy than when he walked in here. He wonders if anyone else really talks to him. But Scott would want to know who Jackson was, an unfamiliar name amongst the normal ones, so.   
  
“Oh, there are five of us here. Me, Erica, Derek, Boyd and Jackson,” Isaac says.  
  
“And the Alpha?” Stiles asks, wondering where he was.  
  
“What about him?” Isaac asks, tilting his head in confusion.  
  
Oh shit. Stiles better back it up here before they notice something is up. Wolves can probably just sense their Alpha. It wouldn’t do for him to be asking for them to point the guy out. “Oh, nothing, nothing. Just… um…nothing.”  
  
“Right,” Isaac says, a little bemused smile on his face.  
  
Suddenly, the door whips open and a good-looking guy around their age is standing in the doorway. His hair is spiked and his eyes are light. He’s scowling. Huh. Stiles has this feeling that no one is surprised that the guy looks like that. “Dinner’s on the table, you know how Derek gets.” And then he scowls. “And I do _not_ cry.” With that he’s gone.  
  
Stiles takes a moment to stare at the empty doorway then says, “Jackson?”  
  
Isaac can only grin and chortle. “Jackson,” he confirms. When he smiles again, it’s really honest. “I think you’re going to fit in just fine.” Yeah. Stiles hopes so too.  
  
For everyone’s sake, especially his own.  
  
***  
Boyd ends up being a dark skinned guy who isn’t fond of words and might just beat out Derek’s silence at the dinner table. Jackson’s a bit of a snob and Erica’s a bitch, but she’s likable enough. Isaac is quiet but eager to say something. It’s easy to tell everyone is really new at this whole Pack thing. If Scott were here, he’d awkwardly try and start a conversation then lapse into silence as well. If Stiles were acting like himself, he’d blab nervously to fill the silence. So, in this case, he tries a happy medium of both.  
  
“So… what’s the plan for tomorrow? Anything exciting to do?” he asks, widening his eyes like Scott sometimes does when he wants something.   
  
Derek makes a face at him and Boyd actually laughs. It’s a start. Surprisingly though, Jackson speaks up. “Um… I’m going out on a date with Lydia.”  
  
“Lydia _Martin_?” Stiles blurts and Jackson nods. Stiles knows Lydia. Well, he doesn’t know her per say, but he knows who she is. Her parents are filthy rich and she’s super smart, which a lot of people don’t know. But Jackson looks like he really likes her, so.   
  
“Good luck with that hot shot,” Erica says and Jackson scowls. Boyd and Derek share a look and Isaac looks a bit like he’s been insulted too.   
  
“What?” Stiles asks. “No, seriously what? What is it?”  
  
Derek says, “She’s rejected him before,” and Stiles can only look because Derek didn’t seem the talking type. More the broody and moody kind.  
  
“Hey that was only twice!” Jackson says and winces.  
  
“Three times,” Boyd counters.  
  
“The mall,” Isaac says reluctantly.   
  
“That so does not count!” Jackson insists. He turns to Derek. “Does it count?”  
  
It’s odd that he looked to Derek for confirmation, but whatever. Either way, Derek says, “Yes,” and Jackson moans in sorrow. Derek rolls his eyes and tells him to eat his food and shut up.   
  
Well then. “Um, dude, do you need like relationship advice or something?” Stiles asks.   
  
Jackson glares as the others laugh, well, everyone except Derek. “Not from you I don’t.”   
  
And what the hell? Stiles was just trying to be nice. _Stiles_ was, shit, and he’s supposed to be Scott. Crap. But wait. Wait he can still help Jackson without blowing his cover.   
  
“I wasn’t suggesting me,” he says calmly and gives those eyes again. Everyone stops to listen.   
  
“Who were you suggesting then?” Jackson asks and he sounds a bit desperate.   
  
“Someone who knows more about her than anyone in this room,” Stiles starts and then he can’t stop. “My twin brother. Stiles.”  
  
Everyone looks at him for a long time before Derek says, “You never mentioned you had a twin in the letter you sent me in response to the one I sent you.” He sounds a bit put out.   
  
“I uh… well he’s not a wolf,” Stiles says and everyone nods. “I… I was the only one bitten.”   
  
“Makes sense,” Boyd says and Stiles would kiss his feet if he weren’t undercover over here. “You’re older, aren’t you?” And Stiles just nods because sure, he can be older than himself while playing his fake twin brother/best friend. “Peter was probably going for firstborns.” Everyone nods slowly in understanding.   
  
“So what about this ‘Stiles’?” Jackson says.   
  
“Well, I mean, I can ask him to help you. He knows a lot. He can definitely help.” And this will so give him an alibi later on if the Pack ever meets him. Yes. This is a go and a total win.  
  
Derek nods from across the table. “I’ll talk to him. Make sure he can be trusted.”  
  
“He’s my twin. He’s been helping me this whole time. I think he can be trusted,” Stiles says in his own defense. Scott would totally defend him, he’s sure.   
  
“Still,” Derek says. “Now everyone just _eat_ and go to bed.”  
  
Everyone mumbles but they listen and Stiles follows suit. All in all, it’s not a bad first day. Isaac and Erica are on dish washing duty, so the rest of them leave them splashing bubbly water at each other as they head to their respective bathrooms for a shower and change before hitting the hay.   
  
Derek pulls Stiles over and asks, “Scott,” and man, it’s weird to answer to that. “ _Can_ he be trusted?” Derek seems to be putting a lot of stock into this, and hell, he’s the oldest, no wonder he wants to watch over the others while the Alpha is away.   
  
“Yeah, yeah he is,” Stiles says. He is totally trustworthy.   
  
Derek nods. “Good.” And that’s that. Of course it is. He thinks Stiles is Scott and therefore Pack, which means he has to be trusted. Derek goes one way and Stiles goes the other and that night, in bed, he feels super guilty for lying to all of them because they all seem like pretty awesome people.


	2. Stiles Does Not Have Channing Tatum's Face, But He Does Have His Charm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles gets closer to the Pack. And closer to Derek, which, hey. Totally a win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Although this is beta'd, if there are any mistakes, I'd love to know!

They are not pretty awesome people. He hates them all. They are terrible, terrible people.  
  
It’s eight o’clock in the morning on a Saturday and everyone’s already up and there is someone screaming so that Stiles gets his ass up and yells grumpily into the hall, “What the hell!?”  
  
Erica comes out of her bathroom a few doors down from his and points to her mess of a mop she calls hair. “ _What the hell_ Scott?” she yells and Stiles is confused for a minute before he remembers he’s Scott. “Look at my hair. _LOOK AT IT!_ And me and Boyd were supposed to go out for breakfast at nine thirty! I can’t go out looking like this.”  
  
Stiles had no idea Boyd and Erica were even a thing, but he’s here to make Scott wanted and to blend in with the Pack so. He yawns and rubs his face. “Wait here a minute, ok?” he tells her and she just nods and bites at her finger nails, snapping at Jackson when he makes a comment.  “No fighting!” he yells and they stop.  
  
Stiles logs onto the internet on his laptop and pulls up YouTube then proceeds to look at videos of how to make a French Braid. After a few videos, he finds one he can follow and calls Erica in asking her to bring a brush with her. She sits at the foot of his bed and for the next twenty minutes, Stiles follows the video and braids her hair, making it swirl around her head in a French Braid. He spritses on some hairspray and then he tells her to take a look in the mirror. She screams.  
  
“Hey look I tri-Whoa!” he gets out before she’s hugging him.  
  
“Oh my god, it’s amazing thank you so much Scott, thanks!” and then she’s back in her room, changing into jeans and a revealing shirt, tossing a jacket over it and rushing out with another quick and breathless thank you.  
  
He sits there, blinking and yells back, “You’re welcome,” but he’s pretty sure she’s already gone and can’t hear him. Well actually, she can probably super-hear him so.  He’s sure he’s good.  
  
Stiles dresses in another pair of Scott’s clothes and heads downstairs to scrounge up something for breakfast. Jackson’s already down there, hoarding the coffee pot, but he pours Stiles a cup and mutters a thank you for helping him with Lydia. Stiles waves him off then fights a smile as Derek shuffles in, still half-asleep, followed by a bright eyed and awake Isaac. The contrast is so hilarious, even Jackson is having a hard time trying not to laugh.  
  
“Morning Sourwolf,” Stiles says to Derek and he just growls which is unexpectedly hot. Wow. Stiles clears his throat and drinks his coffee hoping no one notices, but Isaac gives him a fleeting look before ducking beside Jackson and grabbing a cup of coffee for Derek and himself.  
  
“So, did you talk to Stiles yet?” and that’s Derek.  
  
“Yeah, texted him this morning after Erica had a meltdown,” Stiles adlibs. “He’s totally down to help you. He said he’d meet you guys at the café on the Ave. around noon. Think you can set up for Lydia to meet you there?”  
  
Jackson nods. “Yeah, sure. I’ll tell her to get there at twelve thirty so we can have some time to talk before then.”  
  
Stiles nods. “Fine by me… I mean him, that’ll be fine with him too.” And Derek gives him an odd look.  
  
“Are you ok Scott?” Isaac asks kindly.  
  
Stiles nods. “Super.” And maybe Scott wouldn’t say it quite like that, but it’d have to do for now.  
  
“Right,” Jackson says. “It’s almost ten. I’m going to go get ready. Are you going to be there with Stiles?”  
  
Stiles quickly shakes his head. “Um…no. No. Gonna go see my girlfriend, Allison.” Oh, perfect excuse. Thank you Scott for being so heavily dependent on your girlfriend.  
  
“The one with the bow?” Derek asks dryly.  
  
“That’s the one,” Stiles says with a weak grin. Derek smiles back and his stomach falls to his feet. Whoa. How did he miss how gorgeous this guy was last night?  
  
“You do that Scott,” Derek says and then leaves. Stiles excuses himself from Isaac’s presence around ten saying that he’s going to go see his mom, since it’s a well known fact that Scott McCall’s mom is Melissa McCall, and he runs, he runs all the way home and screams. His neighbor knocks on his door and tells him to tone it down a notch. Apparently, some people are still sleeping.  
  
God what is he going to do? Show up as himself and hope they don’t smell Scott on him? Well, actually…  
  
Stiles scrubs himself like a nut in the shower, brushes his teeth twelve times and then washes himself again. He wishes he could ask Scott if he smelled like him, but that’s a no-can-do kind of thing, so he’ll have to trust his cleaning skills on this one. He sits around until eleven forty-five and then walks over to the café to get there by noon. He spots Jackson and surprisingly Derek, but he doesn’t look at them, just mills around by the front bar as if he’s waiting for someone.  
  
They come over a few minutes later and Jackson whistles low. “Wow, you look exactly like him.”  
  
Stiles turns around and hopes he’s surprised enough to pass their werewolf tests. “You must be… Jackson?” Jackson nods. Stiles turns to Derek. “Sorry, Scott didn’t say anyone else was coming and you’re definitely not Lydia Martin.”  
  
Derek actually cracks a smile and says, “Derek Hale,” and wow. Wow that is so familiar, why is that so familiar? Stiles shakes his head and shakes Derek’s hand.  
  
“Stiles Stilinski,” and by the looks on Jackson and Derek’s faces, he’s said something wrong. Fuck. “What?”  
  
“Stilinski? Scott’s last name is McCall,” Derek says slowly and shit. Shit, shit, shit. Well, Stiles has always been an awesome liar.  
  
“Our parents are divorced,” and the two wolves nod in understanding. “Yeah. I live with our dad. He lives with our mom.” Stiles thanks the heavens that Scott said even he couldn’t tell when Stiles was lying. It looks like these wolves can’t either.  
  
“Stilinski…” Derek says. “Your dad’s the Sheriff?”  
  
Stiles nods in wonder. “Yeah. Yeah he is. How’d you know?”  
  
“I used to live here,” Derek says and he leaves it at that. “He was still around back then.”  
  
“You can’t be that old,” Stiles says with a playful grin, glad that he could finally be himself around Derek and not have to fake at being Scott.  
  
“Guess,” Derek says, looking serious, but now Stiles can hear that note of playfulness in his voice.  
  
“Twenty… two?” Stiles asks.  
  
“Twenty _four_ ,” Derek confirms.  
  
“Dude no way,” Stiles says with a grin and then there’s a huff of impatience from the side.  
  
“Hello? Earth to Stiles. Sheesh your brother’s an air-head, no offence, I thought you’d be better. You can flirt with Derek while I’m on my date. Until then, help me. Please,” Jackson snarks. Stiles blushes though because yeah. He’d been flirting with Derek. And Derek had been flirting back.  
  
“Ahem, sorry. Right. Lydia,” Stiles says and leads them to a back table. Jackson sits across from him and Derek sits beside him, which isn’t helping at all. “She’s really independent, so don’t try and baby her,” and Jackson nods. “But she loves being pampered, so pull out her chair, offer her a drink, be kind.” Another nod. “Here’s the hard part: she’s super smart.”  
  
“How is that hard?” Jackson says. “That actually sounds sexy.”  
  
Stiles rolls his own eyes. “It’s hard because that means you can’t talk to her like she’s just a girl. Give her some respect. Respect her and she’ll give you a chance. Talk about politics, world issues, math. The woman loves math, I suspect she’ll win a Fields Medal in math.”  
  
“A what?”  
  
“Math award,” Derek says from the side and he’s just been staring at Stiles for forever and that is just so hot, what even. “It’s for smart people Jackson, which means people that aren’t you. Continue Stiles.”  
  
“Thank you,” Stiles says as Jackson grumbles. “Anyway, talk to her like she’s a person and you won’t have a problem. Be yourself too. She’s creepy good at knowing when you’re lying. Also…” And he didn’t know if he should say, but… “I think she might be a witch.”  
  
Derek and Jackson both look at him. “What?” Jackson says. “Like the bitchy kind or the magic kind?”  
  
“The magic kind, dumbass,” Stiles says and he swears Derek smothers a chuckle. “I’m not positive, but, word is that Peter bit her too and she was immune to the bite. She didn’t turn. That’s definitely a wiccan sign.” Derek nods and Jackson just sighs.  
  
“Great. I’m sweet on a witch. This is perfect.”  
  
“Did you just use the phrase ‘sweet on’?” Stiles asks in mock horror. “Oh my god, Jackson. That was so sweet and from the sixties, I think I might puke.”  
  
“You talk too much,” Jackson decides. “I like your brother better. At least he knows when to shut up.” Stiles just sticks his tongue out at him. “And he’s more mature.”  
  
At this Stiles laughs. “Mature? Oh my god, please. You haven’t seen Scott when he talks about Allison,” and wait, hold up, that’s _his_ Scott. _Stiles_ sucks when talking about Allison while pretending to be Scott because _he’s_ not besotted with her.  
  
“I have,” Derek says. “He gets kind of stupid.”  
  
“Yes, that’s exactly it,” Stiles says and thank you Derek for the save, even if the older man didn’t know it.  
  
Jackson rolls his eyes and then says, “That’s it, then?”  
  
“That is it. Be honest. Let her know you like her. A girl like her wants to know, not to chase. She’s above chasing. _You_ need to chase her. She’ll like that.”  
  
“Right then,” and then Jackson freezes up. “Oh shit, there she is, she’s here.”  
  
Stiles turns to look over his shoulder and hell. Lydia Martin is gorgeous and everything anyone could ever want. Strawberry blonde hair, expressive eyes, long legs. She’s cute and staring right back at him so he’ll just turn around. “Right then. Your times up, boyo. Go get ‘em.”  
  
Jackson swallows and nods, gets up from the table and walks over to Lydia. He turns one more time and gets a nod from Derek and a thumbs-up from Stiles before diving headfirst into a conversation with her. Stiles and Derek only look away when Jackson pulls out her chair and she sits, charmed.  
  
“Well, looks like my work here is done,” Stiles says, a bit bummed out.  
  
“Do you want lunch?” Derek asks out of the blue and did Derek Hale just ask him out for lunch?  
  
“I… I could eat,” Stiles concedes. Derek pushes a menu toward him and starts looking at his own. “What, here?” Stiles says.   
  
Derek shrugs. “You know about wolves. We like to stick together. We’re-”  
  
“Stronger as a Pack, I know,” Stiles says, rolling his eyes. He freezes, halfway through the menu. “Is this you saying thanks for helping him out?”  
  
“No,” Derek corrects, not looking at him. “This is me. Wanting to go out for lunch. With you.”  
  
“Oh,” Stiles says and keeps looking. Ten seconds later he says, “ _Oh_ , oh shit. Ok.” He makes a face. “But I’m human.”  
  
“So?” Derek says still mulling over his choices.  
  
And Stiles feels ridiculously happy that Derek wants to take him out on a lunch date. Where Stiles can be himself and not act like Scott. Around Derek. Who apparently likes him enough on a first meeting to want to get lunch with him.  
  
Stiles is never going to shut up. He almost feels bad for Derek.  
  
“Wow. So ok. What has Scott said about me that makes me so great?” Stiles knows what’s been said about him because he’s the one who’s been saying it. But whatever. Sue him for blowing his own horn.  
  
“Not much,” Derek admits. A waitress grabs their orders, and then Derek says, “Just that you’re human, younger than him and know a lot about Lydia Martin. Which you do.”  
  
“Knew her through school. Not like she noticed me,” Stiles clarifies. “Got over that a long time ago,” he feels the need to say, which makes Derek give a small grin. And Derek isn’t like this at home. Huh.  
  
“What has Scott said about the Pack? He said he texted you this morning so…”  
  
“Oh, not much. Just that a friend of his needed some help with Lyds over there. Asked if I could help. More like begged. I feel like he was making puppy eyes at the phone,” Stiles says, just to see if anyone else noticed he’d been doing that.  
  
Apparently, Derek has. He’s an observant one, that’s for sure. “Yeah, I did notice.”  
  
“Oh, getting sweet on my brother now?” he asks, kidding.  
  
“Haha, no,” Derek says. “Not him, anyways.” And that shuts Stiles right up and makes Derek look smug. He’s sure the tips of his ears are bright red because they are positively on fire.  
  
Their food comes soon after that and they spend the next hour eating and talking. By the end of it, they’ve been there longer than Jackson and Lydia, the other two having left a bit ago. Derek foots the bill, much to Stiles’ spite, but waves a hand at his protests.  
  
“I’ll make sure you have a turn,” Derek says with a raise of his eyebrow.  
  
Stiles waits a beat and says, “Wait, dude. Was that you asking me on a date?”  
  
  
“Another one, to be exact,” Derek has the nerve to respond with.  
  
“Another one? So this was a _date_. Do you kiss on the first date, Derek Hale?” Stiles asks cheekily.  
  
Derek’s eyes drop to Stiles’ mouth. “Do _you_?”  
  
Stiles grins. “Nope.”  
  
“Then I’ll have to wait,” Derek says getting up. “It was a pleasure to meet you Stiles Stilinski.”  
  
“The pleasure was all mine.”  
  
***  
  
Stiles changes back into clothes from Scott that he finds under his bed, then uses Scott’s deodorant and cologne. He should smell like him now, at least a little bit. He heads back to the Hale House after that and isn’t surprised to find everyone home, Jackson playing video games with Isaac while Boyd and Erica putter around the kitchen.  
  
Derek appears out of nowhere and pulls Stiles aside explaining, “We felt bad for leaving Isaac alone all day, so Boyd and Erica switched dinner duty with Jackson so he could play video games with him to make up for it.” Stiles nods. He had a feeling Isaac was the sensitive one.  
  
“Oh ok. How’d the date go?” he asks Derek.  
  
“Well I’m guessing since Jackson has another one with her,” and Derek sounds pleased. “She might be a witch, apparently. According to your brother.”  
  
“I’d listen to him,” Stiles says, shamelessly self-promoting. “He’s sharp. Always has been, especially after I got turned.” He makes his way to his room upstairs, Derek tailing him. At his door, he turns. Derek couldn’t know, he didn’t even smell the same. So what was it? “What?”  
  
“You… you really look like him, that’s all,” Derek says. “And you have this… underlying scent of him. Makes sense since you’re twins. He has it of you too.” Huh. He should scrub harder next time. Maybe drown himself in cologne too.  
  
“…ok?” Stiles says. He wonders what Derek is getting at. Then it hits him. Derek’s probably wondering whether he should tell Scott about the date and the one they have set up for next week.  
  
He’s wrong as usual. Not completely wrong, but still. Not completely right. “Can I have your brother’s number?” Derek asks with a straight no nonsense face.  
  
Stiles blinks at him then laughs.  Literally busts out laughing and he can’t help it or stop. “Oh my god, what? Dude, why?”  
  
Derek waits while he’s done, a glare on his face. No surprise there, although he was all smiles with ‘Stiles’. “We had lunch. He’s interesting. He’s also good at research. Nothing more. Can I have it?”  
  
“Nothing more?” Stiles says, because Scott would ask and also because ouch. Just – ouch.  
  
Derek’s face softens then. “Maybe more,” he amends. His eyes widen. “Don’t tell him I said that, though.”  
  
And Stiles is laughing again, because Scott is a jerk and likes to laugh at other people’s expense. He understands why now. It’s great. “No problem, here it is.” And he rattles it off and watches Derek punch it into his phone, give a stiff thank you and then leave.  
  
Stiles goes into his room and lays in bed, alternating between screaming into his pillow and staring at the door until Isaac calls him down for dinner.


	3. Stiles Does Not Have A Paul. Or A Yvonne. The Upside Is That He Doesn't Have A Monique Either

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Derek dating pretty much. Think of it as a montage with First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes playing in the background. Or What Makes You Beautiful by those British people and the one Irish kid. 
> 
> Whichever floats your boat.
> 
> Also, Stiles gets guilty. The end.

The full moon is tomorrow.  
  
Stiles has been with the Pack for a few weeks by now, knows all their quirks. Isaac hates thunder storms and small spaces. He can cook like the best of them. Jackson genuinely like Lydia, gets so nervous about her and uses his attitude to cover up the fact that he’s so insecure because he was adopted and doesn’t feel accepted. Boyd has a job at the skating rink and can figure skate. He hates to talk about it, but when he does he can go on for hours. Erica can’t cook, clean or do anything a traditional woman can. She can sing though and dances like a pro. She uses compliments you by insulting you. That’s how you know she likes you.  
  
Derek is a whole other story. As Scott, Stiles knows that Derek is protective over their little group, hates peas, keeps a close watch on Isaac, and can play an instrument. As himself, Stiles knows that Derek feels inadequate in taking care of the Pack, hates peas because his sister Laura used to fling them at him with a spoon, watches over Isaac closely because his dad used to hit him and plays the music he writes on his guitar. He’s close to Derek as Scott, but he’s even closer as Stiles, and they’ve been on two other dates after that first one at the café. Once, to a restaurant with an actual wine menu, and the second time on a walk through the woods where Derek produced a picnic with red cheeks. They still haven’t kissed.   
  
Stiles is jittery. He walks around and bounces and he can’t keep still. His ADD is getting the best of him. What is he supposed to do when they figure out he isn’t a wolf because he doesn’t turn? He’ll be toast, absolute toast. And Derek will hate him and never trust him again and wow, that is painful to think about.  
  
“Nervous for the full moon?” Isaac asks that night as Stiles jiggles on the couch. The two of them are watching Scrubs. Jackson is cooking and Erica and Boyd are helping Derek get the cellar ready for tomorrow night.   
  
“I… yeah. Yeah that’s it,” Stiles says. That’s a good cover, anyhow. “You?”  
  
“Nah, not really. Derek takes good care of us,” Isaac says, and Stiles holds back the comment on the Alpha being totally absent and useless. Derek has to do all the work. But that’s fine; he can see the fondness for them all in Derek’s eyes. And something that’s a bit more than that when Derek looks at him and sees Stiles.   
  
All in all, Stiles doesn’t know what to think anymore, so he just shuts up and watches JD goof around with Turk and hopes for the best.  
  
***  
  
It starts when the moon gets high. Derek says, “Scott, I need you!” and Stiles runs over. Erica has attacked Jackson and Isaac and Boyd are physically fighting their wolf sides. Derek isn’t turning so Stiles ignores the fact that he’s not and helps Derek chain Erica and Jackson up. It’s hard, but he doesn’t get hurt, which is good because he wouldn’t heal fast like the others do. Boyd and Isaac go willingly, and by the end of it, everyone but he and Derek are turned and snapping and howling at the ceiling. Derek leads him back upstairs.  
  
Where he proceeds to stare at him in shock and wonder and maybe a little admiration.  
  
“What?” Stiles says, ready for the accusations.   
  
Instead, Derek asks, “What’s your anchor?”  
  
“My what-now?” Stiles asks in confusion. This could be either better or worse than being caught.  
  
“The thing you hold on to that keeps your human side grounded,” Derek explains, and maybe not everyone uses that term.   
  
And shit, Stiles has no idea. What would Scott of all people use to keep himself human? The idea hits him in the face hard and he gasps out, “Allison!”   
  
Derek nods. “Yeah, yeah that makes sense. Maybe she is your mate,” he says grudgingly.   
  
“What’s your anchor?” Stiles asks, because Derek doesn’t seem to be having an issue changing.  
  
Derek looks away. “It used to be anger. But once I got into the Pack, I got less and less angry. So I started to slip…” He shakes his head and he may be smiling a bit.   
  
“And now?” Stiles asks, his stomach knotting up in apprehension. He has a feeling he knows where this is going.  
  
Instead of saying ‘You’, Derek says, “Stiles,” and Stiles has a moment to be disappointed before he realizes that that’s still him.   
  
  
He looks on in shock, wants to scream for joy and jump up and down in the air, but he remembers that ‘Scott’ doesn’t know about him and Derek. “My brother keeps you grounded? That’s pretty creepy seeing as you guys met once.” And he lifts an eyebrow. “Unless I’m wrong?”  
  
Derek sighs. “I… might be dating your brother.” And to hear him say it? It’s the best thing Stiles has ever heard.   
  
“Yeah?” Stiles asks. Oh god, he’s got a golden opportunity. “Well fine then. I know I can’t do much against you, but hurt him and so help me, I will find a way to end you.” He gives a grin though, because he can’t help it. He just gave Derek the boyfriend speech for _himself_. That was awesome.   
  
Derek nods. “I respect that. And I won’t,” he says quietly. “You have nothing to worry about.”  
  
“Just…” And Stiles doesn’t want to sound rude but… “Be careful with him. Remember, he’s only human.” It just seems like something Scott would say. Derek doesn’t seem offended by it though. He actually seems to agree, which huh. Interesting.   
  
“I know. I can’t seem to forget it. I try not to let it get in the way though,” Derek admits and whoa, wait. Are they bonding? Are they like, wolf-bonding, becoming wolf-bros? This is awesome. He gets to hear stuff Derek can’t say to others on both sides of this.   
  
“Ok, but don’t treat him like a paper doll. He can defend himself. He’s had to deal with me on full moons before I could control it,” Stiles says, wanting to prove himself through … through himself. This is getting weirder and weirder to narrate.  
  
“What did he do?” Derek asks, a bit curious.  
  
“Handcuff me with our dad’s cuffs to our mom’s radiator,” Stiles says cheerfully before realizing he’s supposed to be glum about that. Whatever. “Ask him to tell you about it sometime. Or, in high school, the time our lacrosse coach found his chains in the locker room, the ones he was going to use to tie me up that full moon.” They both give a small chuckle. “He’s a nut. But he’s _my_ nut,” and that was a direct quote from Scott that he said to Danny about Stiles in the seventh grade.  
  
“My nut too,” Derek says softly, so soft Stiles almost doesn’t catch it, but he does and he gives Derek a look that has the other man looking away. Still, inside, Stiles is melting. This has turned into the best night in forever. Maybe not better than going on dates with Derek as Stiles, but definitely better than just sitting around with Derek as Scott.   
  
“I’ve got a lot to learn about him, don’t I?” Derek says quietly as the other wolves howl and whimper.  
  
“Yeah, but I have this weird feeling that he won’t mind teaching you.”  
  
***  
  
Stiles brings Derek to his apartment. It’s small and inadequate, even for him, so it’s even more cramped when Derek is added to the mix.   
  
“Wow,” Derek says. “It’s… snug.”  
  
Stiles tosses his head back and laughs, pretending not to see Derek stare at the long, pale line of his neck. He swallows under that intense gaze anyway and gives the other man a smile.   
  
“Yeah, it is snug. But it’s just housing me, currently, so.” He gives a shrug.  
  
Derek takes a seat on his small futon/couch. “Just you, alone? No roommate?”  
  
Stiles takes a seat next to him, Derek taking his hand and threading their fingers together. “No one besides Scott, my dad and the occasional visitor. You’d have been able to smell it on me.” He makes a derpy face at Derek and bumps their noses together.  
  
“Must get lonely,” Derek says. Stiles nods slowly.  
  
“Sometimes,” he admits. “But lately, I’ve been spending a lot more time with you and…” He shrugs. “I don’t know. It doesn’t seem so lonely anymore. At least, not when I have you in it.” Stiles stops, because Derek is looking at him with huge eyes and Stiles wants to die. “I mean… um, look, if that was too much, you should forget about it because, sometimes I don’t have a brain-to-mouth filter and I can’t help it. You know? ADD and what not. I’m just gonna stop now.”  
  
Derek stares at him and then laughs. Stiles has to fight to catch his breath at the sight of that. Derek’s eyes are green and bright. He kind of wants to kiss him all over his face. And he does just that. He leans over and kisses Derek softly on the cheek. The older man freezes a bit and Stiles has to swallow hard to get the wetness back in his mouth.  
  
“No good?” he asks quietly.  
  
Derek smirks and kisses him on the forehead. “I thought that was just fine.”  
  
***  
  
“Stiles?” Derek says into the phone.   
  
Stiles is on the side of the road. He was on his way home to change into his Scott clothes and head on over to the Hale House when his Jeep broke down. He has virtually no idea what’s wrong with it and he’s currently stranded on the side of the road.   
  
“Yeah Derek, it’s me.” It must say something about his personality that Derek is the first person he called when he’s in trouble. “Um… my car broke down, and I’m on the highway and I have no idea what’s wrong and-”  
  
Derek cuts him off. “Are you ok? Are you hurt?”  
  
Oddly pleased, Stiles smiles. “Nah, I’m fine. I just need a lift, maybe for you to look at my car… maybe?” He sounds hopeful. He also wants to see Derek again.   
  
“Yeah, hold on. Tell me where you are exactly and I’ll be right there.”  
  
It only takes ten minutes for Derek to show up on the side of the road where he is. Derek’s car is a sleek, brand-spanking-new black Chevy Camaro. It’s gorgeous. Stiles might be drooling. But only just a little.  
  
“This your car?” Derek asks, getting out, his leather jacket hugging him in all the right places. Stiles can barely speak. How is this legal? How is this fair?  
  
“Um, I – yeah. This is my baby.” He pats the side of his Jeep and winces when it makes a weird sound and almost tips over. “She’s… an antique. She’s got character.”  
  
“You don’t say?” Derek says dryly, but there’s a smile on his face. He goes over to the hood of Stiles’ Jeep and checks it out. Smoke billows out as he opens it, and Derek immediately dives into the guts of the car, without a second’s hesitation. Stiles waits for about ten minutes before Derek asks him to turn the car back on. He does so and grins. It turns on.  
  
“What did you do?” Stiles asks.  
  
“There was a plug undone from your battery,” Derek says with a shrug. He’s got grease streaked across his face and Stiles wipes it off with a thumb without a second thought. He doesn’t blush this time, only steps closer. Derek does the same.  
  
“Thanks for fixing my car,” Stiles says breathily. “How much do I owe you?”  
  
  
Derek smiles, wrapping his arms around Stiles’ waist. “Oh, let me think. I think you owe me a date,” Derek says, his eyes falling down to Stiles’ mouth. “ _And_ a kiss…” His voice is low, vibrating in his chest. Derek leans in and so does Stiles, and just at that moment, someone driving by beeps and they jump apart, startled and shocked out of their reverie. Derek and Stiles look at each other and start to laugh.   
“Well then,” Stiles says and he dissolves into chuckles again.  
  
“Yeah,” Derek says. He leans in and kisses Stiles’ cheek. “You still owe me that kiss by the way,” he says, getting into his car and starting it.   
  
Stiles smiles like a loon as he gets into his Jeep and restarts her. He’s still smiling when Derek follows him to his apartment, just to make sure he gets there safe. He’s still smiling when he gets inside and changes, smothering himself in Scott’s disgusting scent.  
  
When ‘Scott’ gets to the Hale House, he’s still smiling.   
  
  
“Are you okay?” Isaac asks, a bit concerned for him.  
  
Stiles smiles. “Never been better.”  
  
Isaac doesn’t look so sure. “Erica!” he calls. “There’s something wrong with Scott.”  
  
She walks in and gives him a look. “He probably just came from a make-out session with Allison, that’s all.” She huffs at Isaac, as if he’s just insulted her by wasting her time with this. “Anyway, Boyd’s almost done with dinner. So.”   
  
Isaac still doesn’t look too sure, but he does sit down to play Monopoly when Stiles asks him if he wants to. A few minutes later, Jackson walks in and interrupts their game, noticing that Stiles is still smiling.  
  
“Hey McCall,” Jackson says with a sneer. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you you’re face will get stuck like that?”  
  
Stiles snaps out of it at that. He’s reminded of his own mom and how she did used to say that. He knows Jackson didn’t mean it like that but he can’t help that it hurts like that. Isaac looks up at the sudden lack of good mood and Jackson looks a bit regretful, but then Derek walks in and goes, “What’ up?”  
  
Stiles looks up at him and the bad feeling just… dims. He gives Derek a smile, which the older man returns and then goes back to the game as if Jackson hadn’t spoken and nothing had happened.   
  
Oddly enough, Derek just seemed to make everything better.  
  
***  
  
“My mom died when I was a teenager,” Derek says. They’re on a date, which means Stiles can be himself, and they’re laying on the Hale House roof. The stars are out and it’s gorgeous. Derek has also just broken Stiles’ heart with eight words. Amazing how that works when you start to care about someone.  
  
“…what happened?” he asks softly, moving closer to the older man. It’s chilly out, so Derek wraps an arm around his shoulders and reels him in. Stiles loves to be held like this. It’s the best thing with Derek.   
  
“An accident,” and Derek doesn’t elaborate so Stiles doesn’t push. “My dad died with her, a few of my brothers and sisters too. A few years later and my sister and uncle died.” Derek’s voice is low and hoarse. It’s killing Stiles, actually.  
  
“Derek,” he says, almost a whine. He wants to tell Derek about his mom, how she wasted away in a hospital bed and then died when he was alone in the room with her. But he can’t, not without outing himself and Scott. He’s starting to think Derek is more important than that, though.   
  
“I just… I wanted you to know. You needed to know, alright?” And Stiles nods because he understands that.   
  
“My parents divorced because they fought too much,” and that’s true – about Scott’s parents, that is. “Then they each took a twin and scrammed.”  
  
“I’m sorry,” Derek says and its real sympathy for something that Stiles never went through so it makes him guilty, because Derek cares and Stiles cares about Derek and it’s a scary thing. And he’s still lying to the guy but he can’t help it. He just can’t.   
  
They’re quiet after that and Stiles feels the need to lighten the mood so he says, “Hey Derek. This is date number…?”  
  
“Six,” Derek says, unerringly.   
  
“Huh. Do you kiss on the sixth date?”  
  
Derek chuckles at the déjà vu conversation. “Do you?” he asks good-naturedly.   
  
“I might,” Stiles admits slowly, a bit afraid that he’ll get rejected at this point. “If someone takes the initiative.”  
  
Derek looks almost surprised, but he’s not one to hesitate it seems. He ducks down at that moment and softly captures Stiles’ lips in his own. He presses his lips down hard then, cups Stiles’ chin with one hand, the other resting in his lap since they’re sitting side by side, and he pushes his tongue between Stiles’ lips. Stiles opens up his mouth happily, kissing Derek greedily, like he’s wanted to do for over a month and a half now. He fists his hands in Derek’s shirt, twisting his body so he can get a better angle, and then he’s almost tipping over the roof.  
  
Derek grabs him, pulls him close to his chest and pants heavily in his ear. “Are you ok?” he asks, and he sounds nervous. Stiles remembers all of Derek’s conversations with ‘Scott’ and how he’s always afraid he’ll hurt ‘Stiles’ accidentally.   
  
“I’m fine, I’m fine. I know you won’t let anything happen to me,” Stiles says and he might have an unfair advantage here. But that’s ok. Derek needs him, needs this, Stiles realizes.   
  
Derek’s silent and he nods and Stiles wonders if he’s going to bring up the anchor thing. But he doesn’t and that’s alright too. This is alright. _They’re_ alright.  
And Stiles likes it that way.  
  
***  
  
Scott contacts him three months into his charade. Stiles is currently home alone when he gets the call, cooking, so he’s so thankful for that. It wouldn’t do for a nosey little werewolf to be eavesdropping when he shouldn’t be.   
  
“Oh my god, you’re alive!” Stiles says and Scott chuckles.   
  
“Yes I’m alive. That’s the good news.”  
  
“Oh shit, there’s bad news?” Stiles moans. But it can’t be that bad. The fact that Scott isn’t dead is proof of that.   
  
“I have to stick around a bit longer. I don’t know by how much. We still have to convince Chris to let us get married and stuff,” Scott explains. “Can you deal with the Pack?”  
  
Can Stiles deal with the Pack? Of course he can. He knows them, after all. Knows them and is starting to come to really care about them, as a matter of fact. He thinks to the future when he’ll have to leave and Scott will come take his rightful place and it makes him squeamish.   
  
“Y-yeah, sure,” he says, stirring his soup. He swallows hard, trying to make himself sound normal.  
  
“Are you ok?” Scott asks, because he can be a good friend and know when Stiles is off.   
  
“Yeah, yeah, just… be careful. Again. Ok?”  
  
“Yes, Mom,” Scott says and laughs and then he disconnects without saying goodbye because as aforementioned Scott is a jerk and a terrible friend on principle.   
  
Stiles only realizes an hour later when everyone is at the dinner table, eating and drinking and happy, that he forgot to tell Scott exactly how he was dealing with the Pack. He figures he’ll just tell Scott the next time he calls.  
  
***  
  
Lydia is definitely a witch.   
  
“You’re a werewolf!?” she yells in their living room, the Pack living room, and all the lights flicker. She and Jackson had been getting serious so Jackson had decided he should tell her. Derek had decided that it should be at the Hale House and Stiles had further decided that the Pack should be around as proof just in case ‘his brother’ was wrong.  
  
He wasn’t wrong.  
  
“Lydie,” Jackson starts.  
  
“That’s something you tell a girl before you have sex with her!” Lydia yells and Stiles and Isaac makes faces at each other. TMI much?  
  
“It’s not like you can catch anything from me!” Jackson yells, but yeah, he looks super embarrassed and Derek gets the two of them to sit down before they destroy the house. There are books floating around and the lights won’t stop twitching. Stiles is kind of getting a headache, actually.   
  
“Lydia, knock it off with the lights, Jesus,” Stiles says, a bit of himself slipping through but he can’t help it. Suddenly, the lights are stable and all the books fall to the floor with a crash. Isaac, Boyd and Erica flinch; Derek just frowns.   
  
“Don’t do that,” he growls at Lydia.  
  
“I’m sorry if I’m in shock,” she snaps back.  
  
“And you don’t think I’m shocked that my girlfriend’s a _witch?_ ” Jackson asks, a bit smug.   
  
Lydia flushes. “How do you know that?”  
  
“Besides the flickering lights and floating books? Scott’s twin brother caught scent of it the first day he saw you at that café on our first date,” Jackson spills and Stiles would like to choke him now, please and thank you.   
  
“You have a twin?” Lydia says skeptically.  
  
“He’s not a wolf,” Derek says. “Let’s leave him out of this.” Stiles can’t help the spurt of affection he feels for the other man when he defends him when he’s seemingly not around. It’s cute and Stiles can tell just how serious Derek is about him and their relationship. It’s good to know he’s not alone.  
  
“Whatever,” Lydia says getting up. “I – I need some time to think about this,” and with that she lets herself out of the house. Jackson sits on the couch for the rest of the night and none of them leave his side. Stiles falls asleep slumped against Boyd and Isaac has his head in Erica’s lap. Derek just sits up with Jackson as he does the wolf version of mourning.  
  
“Was she _the one?_ ” Derek asks quietly, hushed in the dead of night. Stiles doesn’t even think Derek knows he’s awake.  
  
“Yeah,” Jackson says just ask quiet, more broken though. “Yeah she was.”  
  
And it breaks Stiles’ heart to hear that because Jackson has become a part of his life god-damn-it and he cares about him. If Lydia doesn’t get the fuck over herself soon, Stiles swears he will walk over to her and make her see the light of day. Jackson needs her, she is his other half. She can’t possibly walk away from that.   
  
Stiles wakes up in the morning to a knock on the door and then everyone is alert, Isaac sitting up, Erica stretching, Boyd shaking him off. Jackson is looking at the door with hope and when Derek opens it and Lydia is there Stiles feels relief wash over him in waves. Surely she didn’t come all the way back to say no, did she?  
  
Lydia stares at the lot of them, still in their clothes from yesterday and gapes. “Please tell me you losers didn’t stay there all night waiting.” No one says a word in edgewise, not even Derek. He just gives her a _‘bitch, please’_ look that makes Stiles wonder if he’s falling in love with the guy. Lydia sighs. “Jackson, come here please.”  
  
He untangles himself from their puppy-pile and walks up to her. It doesn’t show on his face, but he’s nervous. He could tell her off or he could just stand around and wait. It looks like Jackson’s going to do the latter by the way his face has taken on the likening of eating a sour lemon.  
  
But Lydia touches his face carefully and sighs. “Oh Jax, I don’t think I could ever leave you just because of that. And witches and werewolves. I think it sounds good together, don’t you?” There’s a smile on her face that’s smothered when Jackson kisses her and Erica claps with Isaac while Boyd rolls his eyes. Stiles just smiles a bit and Derek looks pleased, like his mission is complete and tells them to get a room or get out. Surprisingly, they get out, Lydia wanting to go out for the day, just the two of them together.   
  
The rest of them are left alone in the house and after a minute, Derek says, “So. Anyone up for a barbecue?” And the afternoon is decided and Stiles thinks that it’s not so bad and gets a jealous tug in the pit of his stomach because he’ll have to leave this, at some point, even if he still gets to date Derek, he might never get this pack dynamic back.   
  
He smiles through the rest of the day and only lets his face fall into sadness when night falls and no one is paying attention.


	4. Stiles Wishes He Had a Eunice To Break The Tension. Eunice Is Cool.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles, the real Stiles, gets to 'meet' the Pack. As Derek's boyfriend. 
> 
> Yay?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you all noticed that my chapter titles have nothing to do with the chapters and everything to do with the movie? 
> 
> Sorry about that.

“You want me to _what?_ ” he says and oh this is so bad. This is so very, very bad.  
  
  
“Meet the Pack,” Derek says again, completely serious.  
  
There are many reasons Stiles should say no, first and foremost the fact that the Pack will know it’s him. They’ll have to. He doesn’t know how he’s been getting around Derek but he won’t be able to fool the Pack. He won’t.  
  
“I… don’t know,” Stiles says slowly. “I mean, are you sure you want them to meet me? We’ve only been dating for-”  
  
“Four months,” Derek finishes and yeah. That’s actually longer than anyone Stiles has ever been with.  
  
“Well, what if they don’t like me?” Stiles says, laying down on his bed. They’re in his room, at his apartment.  
  
“How could they not? They adore Scott and you’re a lot friendlier than your brother. You’ll be fine. Don’t be stupid,” Derek says with a scowl. He lays next to Stiles, wrapping an arm around his waist. “Look, if you think that I’m moving too fast, we don’t have to do this. We can do it some other time and I’ll tell them you’re not coming-”  
  
“You already told them you were coming?” Stiles says in dismay. He doesn’t remember that.  
  
“…Okay, _no_ , I didn’t but still. They know I’m seeing someone and they’re probably wondering who.”  
  
Stiles sighs. Derek has a point; the Pack should probably meet him. But there’s no guarantee that he’ll be able to keep up the ruse if they do. Still, it’s Derek, and Stiles is quickly finding out that there isn’t much he’ll deny the man, not much at all.  
  
So. “ _Fine_. I’ll meet them,” he sighs and Derek places a kiss at the nape of his neck and grins against his skin. Stiles can’t find it in himself to be angry with him.  
  
***  
  
“You’re going out with Allison?” Derek exclaims. “Scott, no. Your brother is coming over tonight. He needs your support!”  
  
“And that’s why he has you!” Stiles shoots back. Jesus, he didn’t think it would be this hard to get ‘Scott’ out of tonight’s meet and greet.  
  
“Well, _I_ need you too!” Derek says and Stiles lets his mouth fall open in shock and horror. What? Derek just looks embarrassed. “Look, you’re my… you’re the equivalent to a best friend for my human side and a general to my Wolf side. I… don’t know if I can do this without you.”  
  
Stiles swallows hard. He’d had no idea that his ‘Scott’ was so close to Derek. “Look, man. She’s my mate,” Stiles says, talking about Allison. “And I told her tonight was special. So….”  
  
“ _Oh_ ,” Derek says in an understanding that Stiles doesn’t have. “Oh my – I didn’t even know. I get it, I get it. Go do what you have to do, why didn’t you says so?”  
  
“Say what?” Stiles says in confusion.  
  
“That you were _bonding_ with her tonight,” Derek says, like it’s obvious. And oh, wow. That’s probably what it looks like to him.  
  
“Um, yeah. Yeah that’s totally what I meant. So I… yeah. _Bonding_.” Stiles coughs a bit.  What the hell does that even mean? He’ll have to text Scott later and ask. “But um… if it means anything? Good luck. I’m sure everyone’s gonna love Stiles.”  
  
“Yeah,” Derek says with a pleasant smile, not quite what he gives Stiles but more than he gives everyone else. “Me, too.”  
  
***  
  
“Oh my god they are all going to _hate_ me,” Stiles says. He’s in a panic now, even though he knows everyone’s quirks and really, did Derek have to choose to do this? He sighs and Derek tries not to laugh as he fusses over his shirt outside the Hale House door. “Oh don’t you start with me,” Stiles sneers at him then instantly regrets it. “Sorry, Derek, I’m sorry. I’m just-”  
  
“Nervous,” Derek says and he crowds Stiles against the door, bringing their foreheads together. “You will be fine. They are going to love you. Alright? Absolutely adore you.”  
  
“I – if you’re sure,” Stiles finally concedes, and then Derek pulls him back and opens the door. Stiles is hit by the smell of the roast Boyd started. He’s honestly the only one who can cook as well as ‘Scott’ and Derek can. Erica once blew up the stove… _while boiling water_.  
  
So.  
  
“Hello!” Isaac says and Stiles just holds himself back from saying hi back like he knows the guy. Instead, he gives an awkward wave as Derek takes his coat.  
  
“Uh, hi?” He gives another awkward wave. “Yeah. Hi. I’m Stiles.”  
  
“Isaac,” Isaac replies with a dimpled smile and shakes his hand.  
  
“Is Derek’s chew toy here?” Jackson calls and Stiles rolls his eyes as Derek growls. Thankfully, there’s a smack from the kitchen and then Lydia walks out looking self-satisfied, Jackson swearing behind her.  
  
“Stilinski,” she says. “I heard you were in school with me. How come I never saw you there?”  
  
“You uh, sorta ignored me? Like, _all the time_ ,” he says, and no, he’s not bitter, not anymore. He got over it, like he said.  
  
“Oh,” she says and yeah, Lydia Martin, embarrassed that she ignored her boyfriend’s Pack-mate's boyfriend throughout high school? It’s pretty cool. “How many classes did we have together?” and she looks like she’s dreading this.  
  
“All of them,” he admits. “And I was the class valedictorian.”  
  
Lydia shakes her head. “I’m actually pretty sorry about that.” She smiles sweetly at him then claps her hands. “So! Let’s be friends now. You’re probably much cooler as an adult.”  
  
As she drags him into the kitchen, Stiles throws a blow-kiss to a grinning Derek. “Here’s to hoping.”  
  
***  
  
“You can help with the clean-up while Isaac and Boyd bring out the food,” Lydia says, dragging him into the kitchen. They start up a little system, where she’s washing and he’s drying, and she starts to interrogate him, which he’s expecting. “So, you’re Derek’s boyfriend, huh?”  
  
“Yep,” he says, trying not to blush.  
  
“You’re dating your twin’s pack-mate, you get that right?” she says sweetly, like it’s not supposed to be shocking when she puts it like that. Because technically, Stiles is dating his own Pack-mate. Which might be illegal in the world of werewolves. Or whatever.  
  
“Yeah,” he says slower and puts a mixing spoon to the side.  
  
“Huh. You’re not afraid he’s going to rip you apart if he gets ticked off?”  
  
“No? I mean, _should_ I be? I feel safe around him. I trust him,” Stiles says softly.  He places a pot in the space beneath the sink after Lydia points to it.  
  
Lydia leans against the counter and folds her arms across her chest. In the low, warm light of the kitchen, she looks like she has a halo around her head. “You’re something else Stilinski.”  
  
“So I’ve been told,” Stiles shoots back, trying to break the heavy tension that had suddenly settled over them.  
  
“There’s something about you…” Lydia shakes her head and then claps her hands together. “Oh well. I’ll think of it later.”  
  
“I’d rather you didn’t,” Stiles says, being honest and wanting her to stop thinking about it. He knows she sees the odd, uncanny similarities between ‘Scott’ and ‘Stiles’. If anyone could figure it out, it would be Lydia. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a good thing. “Please, let it lie. Alright? Please?”  
  
Lydia stares at him, a bit confused. “Huh,” she says. “You really care about him, don’t you?” Her voice is soft and she’s got this look in her eyes, just like when she’s looking at Jackson.  
  
Stiles clears his throat and looks away from her. “Yeah,” he says. “But… just, don’t be showing everyone my weak spots.” He tries to relieve the tension, and this time it works. Lydia laughs and gives him a friendly shove.  
  
“Alright, alright. I’ll let you and your family secrets rest in peace,” she says. “But you can’t hide them forever!” she says in a sing-song voice. “Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.”  
  
It leaves a knot in the pit of Stiles’ stomach and a bad taste in his mouth as he follows her out of the kitchen.  
  
***  
  
Dinner goes better than Stiles planned. The Pack doesn’t seem to catch onto the fact that he’s also ‘Scott’, so he counts that as a win. But everyone’s got their own tests on deciding whether or not Stiles’ is good enough for Derek. He’d already passed Lydia’s in the kitchen. The others are a bit more… creative. Stiles is proud of them anyway.  
  
Boyd likes to glare. He stares Stiles down for half their meal, not saying a word, before he finally growls out, “So. Stiles.”  
  
Stiles stops and looks at him. He’d been in the middle of a conversation about their old chemistry teacher with Lydia and a game of footsie with Derek. “Yes?”  
  
“In your opinion, do you add milk to scrambled eggs, or not?” It’s the weirdest question, and everyone else at the table groans. In any other situation, Stiles would not know how to answer him. But in this case, he knows what Boyd is fishing for. This entire month he’s been arguing with the Pack over whether or not scrambled eggs take milk. Stiles personally opts for it, but he knows Scott hates it, so he never makes it with them when it’s his turn for breakfast. Boyd on the other hand won’t eat eggs without adding milk in it. So.  
  
Stiles smiles. “I like to add milk. It makes the eggs smoother and fluffier.” It’s the truth; at least it is for Stiles.  
  
Boyd smiles for the first time that night and relaxes. He sits back in his seat with a smile. “You can keep him,” he says in Derek’s general direction, still looking at Stiles.  
  
Derek gives a dry snort. “Gee, thanks. Wasn’t aware I needed your permission.”  
  
Boyd shrugs. “That’s alright, we all make mistakes. And you got it, anyway. So.”  
  
There’s a low round of chuckles at the table, and Derek takes Stiles’ hand, intertwining their fingers.  
  
“So,” Jackson says from where he is across the table from Stiles. “How long do you plan to stick around?”  
  
Stiles shrugs. “Till dinner’s over. I’ll head home after that.”  
  
Jackson stares and then laughs. “Wow, yeah, I can see the resemblance between you and you’re idiot brother. No, genius. I meant how long are you staying around with Derek?”  
  
There’s a hush at the table and Lydia stomps her heeled foot into Jackson’s under the table. He lets out a whimper and she says softly, “That was so rude, Jax, I can’t believe you.”  
  
Stiles smiles, even though he can feel Derek tensing up beside him. “We haven’t talked about it much,” Stiles says, a laugh in his voice. “But I’m pretty sure I’m sticking around until Derek gets sick of me.”  
  
Erica smiles into her drink and Isaac just grins wide. Beside him, Derek says, “I’ll never get sick of you.”  
  
“Well, good,” Stiles says back, turning in his seat to look at him. “I’d hate to have to go.”  
  
Derek smiles back. “I’d hate to have you leave.”  
  
They stare at each other and Derek’s smile grows, making his face light up. Stiles is completely captivated, something seizing in his chest and before he can put a name to it, Jackson says, “Okay, I get it, you two are so in love you’re going to make our teeth rot. Save it for the bedroom.”  
  
Stiles chokes on his own spit as he turns to Jackson, because that was rude too. Talking about sex at a table full of werewolves who take the whole mating thing seriously? Not a good idea. Derek growls and almost stands up, Boyd doing the same. Thankfully, Stiles’ hand on Derek’s arm and Erica’s on Boyd’s stop the two men from ripping Jackson a new one. Erica and Stiles share a similar look of patience and tug on their respective man.  
  
“I think Jackson should probably leave the table,” Derek grates out.  
  
“Or apologize,” Lydia says with a wicked grin.  
  
Apologizing would be embarrassing for Jackson, but being sent away from the table by his Senior Pack-mate is down-right humiliating. He seems to weigh his options and then turns to Stiles and sighs. “I’m… sorry.”  
  
“For?” Stiles says. But he’s not saying it in a mean way; he’s saying it softly and gently, because if Jackson is going to apologize, he’d mind as well mean it and learn something for it.  
  
Jackson looks surprised, as does everyone else, but Derek just looks awed. A few seconds later, Jackson says, “I… I guess for being an ass? And ruining dinner.” He looks over to Derek, as if looking for guidance, and surprisingly, Derek just directs him toward Stiles. So Jackson looks at him. “Right?”  
  
Stiles feels a bit put on the spot, but he nods to Jackson. “Yeah, that’s exactly it. Not so hard, was it?” Jackson shrugs, a bit chagrined, but in good spirits nonetheless. “And you’re forgiven by the way,” Stiles adds in.  Jackson rewards him with a smile.  
  
“Well I like you,” Isaac says eagerly. Stiles lets out a little laugh and Derek raises an eyebrow. “Not like _that_ ,” he clarifies. “But, I mean, I think you’re pretty awesome.”  
  
“Nothing pretty about it,” Stiles says.  
  
“On the contrary,” Erica says, and Derek shoots her a dirty look until he sees that she’s just joking around and he relaxes back into his chair.  
  
Dinner’s fine after that, and Stiles meshes well with the others as himself. It makes him feel that much better that he can still get along well with the Pack – with _his_ Pack, even if he’s not ‘Scott’.  
  
At the end of the night, after the crème-brulee Boyd had slaved over all afternoon, the group retires to the living room, couples piling up on the couch, Isaac curling up on the carpet on the floor. But Stiles holds Derek back in the hall as the others walk in. Derek gives him a look of confusion and Stiles shakes his head. They wait until the TV is on and then Stiles speaks.  
  
“You are very touchy and overprotective. And possessive,” Stiles says quietly, pressing Derek to the hall wall.  
  
Derek swallows hard and looks away, mumbling, “M’sorry.”  
  
Stiles gives a low chuckle, because his boyfriend is apologizing for wanting him. It’s kind of funny. “It’s ok. No need to apologize. You aren’t doing anything wrong. It’s just…” And now he leans his head on Derek’s shoulder and hugs him. “I’m not going anywhere, Derek.”  
  
Derek wraps his arms around Stiles and sighs in his hair. He doesn’t say anything for a while, just breathes and listens to Stiles’ heartbeat and this is the most intimate thing they’ve ever done, Stiles is sure.  
  
“They like you,” Derek says, finally. It breaks the silence and makes Stiles laugh.  
  
“Yeah, I guess they do.”  
  
“No guessing about it. Now get your asses in here so we can start the movie!” Erica yells from where she is, leaning against Boyd and perched on the couch. Derek and Stiles share a quick laugh and then separate. Derek takes him by the hand and leads him into the living room and the rest of the night goes by in relative comfort.  
  
***  
  
Derek tells ‘Scott’ the next day how well it went. He’s animated and excited and a bit bummed out that ‘Scott’ wasn’t there. But Derek’s alright with that. He’s making plans to get Stiles better acquainted with the Pack when he turns around, embarrassed, and says, “Shit, I’m sorry, how did the bonding with Allison go?”  
  
Stiles had been staring at Derek’s ass as he moved around the room, listening to the sound of his voice and drifting off into space. Now, Stiles jumps to attention and coughs a bit. “Oh yeah, it was um… it was fine.” He scratches the back of his neck.  
  
Derek turns to him and gives him an unsure smile. “Fine. That’s it? ‘It was fine’? You just bonded with your mate and that’s all you have to say about it?”  
  
Stiles really wishes he knew how those things really went. But, alas, he was currently lying to all the people he cared about so. He shrugs instead. “Gentlemen don’t kiss and tell.”  
  
Derek barks out a laugh and says, “I can respect that.” And Stiles may be a little in love with that laugh, with those eye creases, with _Derek_ …  
  
Wow.  
  
He feels his face heat up and Derek says, “You ok?”  
  
Stiles nods. “Oh yeah. Fine. Just… thinking of… Allison?” He doesn’t mean for it to come out like that.  
  
Derek makes a face. “You’re disgusting,” but he says it with fondness. “Go do that someplace else.”  
  
Stiles counts it as a win.


	5. Stiles Doesn't Play Soccer. He Plays Wolf Ball.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And this is where Stiles become Pack Mom a bit. Scott calls, he gets great news and Stiles gets deeper into the Pack.
> 
> Man it's gonna be a bitch when they find out.

Stiles starts to visit the Pack as himself more and more often. He goes an entire week not being Scott without noticing until Jackson comments on Scott being way too attached to his girlfriend to be healthy. Derek snaps that it’s because she’s his mate and then storms out. Everyone gives Stiles a weird look that he ignores, because he doesn’t know what it means and isn’t sure if he wants to know.   
  
A few afternoons later, he’s sitting in the Pack’s library, reading through a first edition of _Pride and Prejudice_. He’s just getting to Darcy’s first proposal, when he hears the floor creak and his head snaps up in shock.  
  
“Hey,” Isaac says awkwardly. He rubs the back of his neck then smiles bashfully up at Stiles, who relaxes considerably.  
  
“Hey, pup,” Stiles says. It’s a nick-name he’s picked up from Derek, who uses it on Isaac and ‘Scott’ all the time.   
  
Isaac folds himself into the arm chair across from him and curls in on himself. Stiles puts his book down; this is unusual behavior for Isaac, from what he’s seen as ‘Scott’ and as himself. “What’s up, bud?”  
  
Isaac shrugs. “Look, I don’t wanna talk to Erica because I think she’s currently having sex with Boyd,” and Stiles makes a face at that. “And Jackson is at Lydia’s and Scott… Scott’s been weirdly absent lately.” Stiles feels really bad about that. He’s been neglecting his duties as Scott. But just a bit longer, he convinces himself. He wants to bond with the Pack just a bit longer as himself. It’s all he really wants.   
  
“So…? Why not talk to Derek?” Stiles asks.  
  
Isaac actually laughs at that. “Trust me, Derek is really not the person to be talking to this about. He’s trying to get a handle on his own problems right now.” Stiles stares at Isaac because he didn’t know   
Derek was having problems. They’ve been together almost six months and he hasn’t heard one peep about problems from his boyfriend.   
  
“Okay, then let’s talk,” Stiles says, folding his hands in his lap.   
  
Isaac relaxes into the chair and runs a hand through his hair. “Ok, so… I have this person who I like. And, I mean they don’t know anything about… wolves or witches or anything like that. But…”  
  
“But they’re important to you,” Stiles guesses.  
  
“Yes!” Isaac says. “Yes, that’s it exactly. And I like him… them…” He looks embarrassed at the slip up but then he shakes his head. “I like _him_. And he doesn’t know. And he’s important enough to make me want to tell him.”  
  
“And who is this guy?” Stiles asks, leaning forward.  
  
“… Danny… Mahealani…”  
  
“Danny? Like, gay lacrosse Danny?” Stiles asks. He went to high school with the kid. Even he has to admit he’s attractive.   
  
Isaac blushes though. “Yeah… We work in the same building and … God, we’ve been dating for a bit and I just – I’ve been too afraid to say anything about it to you guys.” He gives a shrug. “I just need to know if I should tell him or not.”  
  
Stiles is beyond flattered that Isaac is coming to him about this. He kind of wishes that he’d gone to Derek with this issue, because Stiles doesn’t want to steer him wrong, but he does the best he can. “I think that this is a decision you have to make for yourself,” he says and Isaac wilts. “But,” Stiles says, and he leans over, putting a hand over Isaac’s. “I will back you up, whatever your choice is. And I’ll help you talk to Derek about it.”  
  
Isaac’s face lights up. “Thanks, Stiles,” he says and hugs him. They separate and a moment later, Derek walks in, book open in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other, glasses perched on the edge of his nose. He looks up and raises an eyebrow as Isaac gets out of the chair and throws a smile to Stiles.   
  
“Hey Derek,” Isaac says. “Can we talk later?” He throws a glance toward Stiles, who nods in encouragement.   
  
Derek looks between them in confusion. “Sure.” Isaac beams at him and then makes his way around Derek.   
  
Before he walks out, he looks back over his shoulder and says, “Thanks Mama Wolf,” to Stiles and then leaves.   
  
Stiles sits in shock. Derek lets of a chuckle and grunt before squeezing himself onto the chair beside Stiles, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. It’s the first time Derek’s been in the same room as him in a week. It’s the first time Isaac has ever used that nick-name on him.  
  
“What was all that about?” Derek asks, kissing his neck as he does so. Stiles smells coffee and that distinct smell of musk and sandal wood that is Derek.  
  
He shrugs. “I don’t know,” he says honestly.  
  
“I think someone’s getting attached,” Derek comments, his tone playful.  
  
“Oh?” Stiles says, turning in his place to look at Derek. “Is he the only one?”  
  
His voice gets a bit hushed and then Derek is leaning in close. Stiles has missed it, actually. He’s missed it a whole lot. “Maybe I’m growing a bit attached, too,” Derek admits, their noses brushing.  
  
“I don’t mind,” Stiles says, smiling a bit. He kisses Derek softly, then rests his head on Derek’s shoulder. “I missed you.”  
  
“Yeah,” Derek says, absentmindedly. “I missed you too.”  
  
***  
  
Stiles goes back to Scott because Derek gets distant for another week and he figures that maybe he’ll talk to ‘Scott’ about whatever it is that’s bothering him.   
  
It kind of hurts when he turns out to be right.  
  
“Scott, thank god,” Derek says the second Stiles walks in. He wrinkles his nose though and says, “Have you been around Stiles, lately?”   
  
Stiles gives himself a moment to panic. He’d done what he usually did when he changed into his ‘Scott’ persona. Why was Derek so sensitive to his smell all of a sudden?   
  
“Yeah,” he says. “Saw him about an hour ago.” He hopes that’ll do.  
  
“That explains it,” Derek says. And then, more hesitantly, “Is… he alright?”  
  
Stiles plays it up by saying, “Oh my god, what happened?” As if he was worried something was amiss in Stiles’ and Derek’s relationship.  
  
“What? No, nothing, it’s just…” Derek sighs and he finally opens up. “I don’t know what’s happening with us. It’s just, been so different, and I’ve been so worried about a million different things. The Pack, him. You.” Derek looks up, a weak smile on his face. “I try to hide it from him, but… I think he sees straight through me.”  
  
Stiles sits next to Derek on the bed and bumps shoulders with him. “One thing about my baby brother,” he says, emphasizing how ‘Scott’ likes everyone to know he’s older by a few minutes, “is that he doesn’t like it when he’s kept out of the loop.” Stiles shrugs. “At all. So you might not want to do if you want to stay on his good side.” Stiles pauses, a dreaded, sinking feeling in his stomach. “You do want to stay on his good side, right?” Oh god, did Derek want to dump him?  
  
“Of course,” Derek says, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
Stiles relaxes. “Right. Okay. So. Like I said. Just be honest with him and you’ll be golden.”  
  
“What if I’m not sure what it is that I need to be honest about?” Derek asks and okay, that made no sense to Stiles at all.  
  
“Dude, are you talking gibberish to me?” he asks.  
  
Derek cracks a smile, and maybe it should hurt that ‘Scott’ can get a smile out of him while Stiles can’t. As it is, Stiles is just glad that he’s smiling.   
  
“Never mind, I’ll figure it out,” Derek says. He pats Stiles on the knee.  
  
Stiles shrugs. “Okay. Just… if you need to talk, I’m here. You know that right?”  
  
Derek nods. Stiles gets up to leave and Derek calls out, “Wait.” So he stops and turns around. “When you’re with Allison… when you’re with your mate… How do you – feel?”  
  
Stiles has no idea what Scott feels like around Allison; in all honesty, he could care less. But he does know what he feels like around Derek. So he pulls his inspiration from that. “Warm,” he tells Derek, his eyes open and honest. “Warm and safe and… wanted.” He shakes his head. “I feel like I’m in the right place, like I’m where I was meant to be.”  
  
Derek swallows hard and looks away. “Sounds like you really love her.”  
  
For some reason, Stiles tears up, and he turns away from Derek so he doesn’t see. “You have no idea.”  
  
***  
  
“How long until you’re back?” Stiles says. He’s in at his apartment for the day. He’ll be heading back to the Hale House to sleep as Scott, but for now, he rests in his small bed, in his small room. It feels wrong, like he doesn’t fit here anymore. Stiles doesn’t like it.  
  
“About a month and some change,” Scott says to him. He’d called a few minutes earlier. “We’re finalizing some stuff. Signing papers. Her dad’s a pain, but it’s worth it for her.”  
  
“Yeah, I’m sure,” Stiles says, not really listening. He’s calculating the time he has left with the Pack. It’s not looking good. He doesn’t have enough time. Not enough time to talk to Derek with Isaac about telling Danny. Not enough time to help Jackson pick out a ring for Lydia. Not enough time to show Boyd that recipe for chicken rice soup that his mother taught him when he was younger.   
  
Not enough time to figure out what he feels for Derek. Stiles just doesn’t have enough time.  
  
Stay longer, he wants to say. I’m not ready to let go of them, of this, he wants to yell. But he can’t. He can’t ask that of Scott. This was the plan from the beginning. To get in, make sure Scott could keep his place, and then leave.   
  
He was never supposed to care about these people. He was never supposed to… never supposed to fall in love.   
  
“Stiles…?” Scott asks and Stiles realizes that Scott has been talking to him this entire time.  
  
“Huh? Yeah, sorry. Spaced out for a bit…”  
  
“You okay?” his friend asks, and let no one say that Scott is a shitty friend, because the guy can tell when Stiles is in one of his moods.  
  
“Just fine,” Stiles says, the smile on his face slowly falling. He rubs his eyes and tries to make it all go away. “You were saying about Allison’s hair…?”  
  
***  
  
“Um, so, I uh, kinda sorta… wolfed out on Danny?” Isaac says to Stiles in the kitchen about two weeks later.   
  
Stiles is there as himself, making up the excuse that ‘Scott’ was going out with Allison to look at rings or something stupid like that. He doesn’t remember, which is a bit worrying, because he’s a bit terrified that he might be getting his stories mixed up and that’ll just bring nothing but tears, he’s sure.  
  
But anyway. He’s currently got bigger fish to fry.  
  
“You what!?” Stiles yelps, and Derek’s in the room in a moment, an odd look on his face.   
  
“What did he do?” Derek asks. He looks to Isaac. “What did you do?”   
  
  
Isaac doesn’t say anything, but Stiles is done with secrets, at least these. “He wolfed out on his boyfriend. His human boyfriend.”  
  
“Stiles!” Isaac exclaims.  
  
“Isaac!” Derek growls. “Since when does he have a boyfriend?” But he’s asking Stiles now.  
  
“From what he told me, a while now,” Stiles says.  
  
“Stiles!” Isaac complains again, but he’s not really mad. Just a bit bummed out.  
  
“Hey, you should have told him a long time ago. I gave you a chance. Now it’s my turn.” Stiles folds his arms. When he turns to look at Derek, the older man has a smile on his face. “What?”  
  
“Nothing,” Derek says, his hands up defensively.   
  
“Yeah,” Isaac says, still sulking. “Way to be, mom.”   
  
“Watch it,” Stiles shoots back and Isaac closes his mouth. It doesn’t even faze Stiles that Isaac is right; he’s acting pretty parental and maternal of a person his own age. Hell, people his own age. He does this for most of the Pack. “Where’s Danny?”  
  
“… in the car?”   
  
“You left him in the car? Alone!?” Stiles shrieked. Holy shit, he’s sure he taught Isaac better than this.  
  
“What? No. He’s with Jackson. They’re actually best friends. He’s the one that convinced Danny to give me a shot,” Isaac admitted.   
  
“So Jackson knew too? Anyone else, besides Stiles?” Derek says.  
  
“No,” Isaac admits.   
  
Derek sighs and Stiles does the same. “Okay. Game plan. We just need to tell Danny… everything.” Stiles groans. “This isn’t going to go well.”  
  
“Optimism,” Derek says, but it falls flat. Optimism. Right.  
  
***  
  
It doesn’t go well.  
  
“You’re a dude… who turns into… a wolf?” Danny says for the millionth time.  
  
Isaac sighs. They’re all inside, sitting on the couches. Jackson is sitting next to Danny, Isaac is sitting on his other side, and the rest of the Betas are on the floor. Derek and Stiles share a love seat.   
  
“Yes, for the hundredth time,” Jackson complains. “What about that is so hard to grasp?”  
  
“Oh, I don’t know, Jackson. Maybe the fact that you are _people_ who turn into _wolves_!” Danny yells.  
Stiles raises his hand and says, “Um, hey there. Not a wolf. And my brother’s mate isn’t a wolf either. And neither is Lydia-”  
  
  
“She’s a fucking witch,” Danny deadpans.  
  
“Rude,” Lydia sniffs.   
  
“The point is, you’re not the only non-wolf here,” Stiles grits out. “Jesus fuck, I’m trying to help you man.” Beside him, Derek growls. Stiles smacks his arm. “Relax, it’s fine.”  
  
Derek shakes his head. He hadn’t realized he’d been doing that. “I’m… going to go for a walk. Can you handle this?” Stiles wants to say no, wants to tell Derek to man up and help his fellow Betas. But he just nods, a bit put out and Derek leaves.  
  
Even Danny sees how it was rude.  
  
“Ouch,” Danny says, momentarily forgetting about the wolf problem. “What was that?”  
  
“Mommy and Daddy are fighting _again_ ,” Erica says with a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Boyd wraps an arm around her waist.   
  
  
“Knock it off,” Stiles snaps. Then he rubs his temples. “Danny, could you please just-”  
  
“Oh my god you guys are _werewolves_!” he says, his voice sounding a bit strangled.   
  
  
Everyone in the room sighs in unison.  Right. Back to square one.  
***  
  
Danny comes around. Eventually.  
  
***  
  
“Hey McCall, have you seen that idiot brother of yours?” Jackson says. Stiles turns around and shakes his head. One more week. One more week and Scott is coming home. Stiles has no idea what to do about it.  
  
“He’s working,” Stiles lies through his teeth. Jackson looks put out.   
  
“Well shit, I totally forgot about that. He said he was going to go ring shopping with me for…” And then he points to where Lydia is with Erica a few rooms over.   
  
Stiles remembers making that promise. He doesn’t want to break it. “He mentioned that. I… I can go instead?” He backtracks and pulls out the puppy eyes. “If you want me to, that is.”  
  
Jackson hesitates. If anything, Stiles is begging him to say yes because he just really wants to go do this with him. He promised and he’s trying to bring ‘Scott’ out for one last bang before the real Scott gets back and this all falls down around his ears.   
  
Jackson finally sighs and nods. “Yeah okay. You can’t have worse taste than him, can you?”  
  
Stiles wants to feel insulted that Jackson just dissed his taste in jewelry. But he just feels relieved. “I think my taste is better.”  
  
***  
  
They’re at the jewelers, Jackson paying for the ring (and man was it gorgeous! Lydia was going to love it), when Stiles gets the call.  
  
Scott.  
  
“Hello!” he says, trying to sound chipper, but failing miserably.   
  
“Dude, um… we may have a problem.” Stiles’ breath gets cut short.  
  
“What? What is it? Are you guys ok?” he rushes out.  
  
Scott sighs, but it’s a dreamy sounding sigh. “Stiles… I’m getting married.” Stiles freezes. “And it’s gonna take a month to get the wedding together and then Allison wants to spend a month in Paris for our honeymoon….”  
  
Stiles bursts out into a yell of happiness and everyone in the shop looks at him weird. Jackson ignores him and signs his bill. It says something about his personality that he’s used to this.  
  
“Dude that is awesome! That is so, so, so awesome. Oh my god, have fun! Go get married and take a bunch of pictures of Paris, okay?” Stiles says.  
  
Scott is silent and then he says, “So, wait… you’re okay with this?”  
  
Stiles blinks. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”  
  
Scott shrugs on the other side of the phone line and Stiles can hear it as his clothes rustle. “Whatever you’re doing with the Pack seems to be working. No one’s sent me a letter saying I can’t stay, so I mean… I just figured you’d want a break or something and I’d have to convince you to keep doing what you’re doing.”  
  
Stiles looks over at Jackson, carefully packing the ring away, thinks of Isaac and Danny cleaning the Hale House together and dancing to Queen. He thinks of Lydia when she gets that ring, thinks of Erica and Boyd quietly laying on the couch together, or in their room noisily having sex.   
  
He thinks of Derek and decides that he does not, in fact, want a break. Not at all.  
  
“Naw,” he says, smiling at Jackson and walking over to him. “I’m good.”  
  
***  
  
Stiles makes up an Allison based excuse and goes home to change into his own clothes and get his own scent back. He then makes his way back to the Hale House, a cheery grin on his face. Derek opens the door and Stiles attacks his face with his lips, kissing him hard and sweet, lingering on his taste. Derek reciprocates in kind, making a little noise in the back of his throat.  
  
“What was that for?” he asks.  Stiles can only smile. He traces his finger up and down Derek’s jaw line, reveling in the way the other man leans into his touch.  
  
  
“Nothing,” he says. “I’m just really happy to see you.”


	6. And This Is Why She's The Man Wasn't Rated R

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles is officially Pack Mom and running on borrowed time. And Derek has a few secrets to tell him that'll clear a lot up. 
> 
> Also sex. 
> 
> Yeah, that's the important part, I think.

Stiles only has two months, so he makes sure that the first week, he makes up an excuse about ‘Scott’ wanting to ask Allison to marry him and making plans for that. He thinks it’s best to stick to the actual story, so that when the real Scott comes back, they won’t be too mad that Stiles had been lying. It’s also a lot more believable by taking a play from Scott’s book.  
  
Then Stiles sets out to do what he needs to do with his Pack.  
  
He starts out by teaching Boyd the chicken rice soup recipe. He adlibs, lying and saying his dead grandmother taught him, instead of saying it was his mother. He still thinks of his mom as he chops chicken, boils water, adds both and cooks rice. Stiles can still remember how she smiled, how she smelled, and he blames it on the few onions he adds for flavor when he starts to get teary-eyed.  
  
Boyd gets the message and doesn’t pry and god. He really, really appreciates it.  
  
Next up is Erica. Stiles gets her Braiding for Dummies and then sits down with her for a whole afternoon, showing her how to do different braids. She tells him that Scott did this for her once and Stiles makes up a lie on the spot, telling her that Allison has long hair and that Scott sometimes does it up for her. She eats it up though; she has no reason to believe Stiles would be lying to her. He kind of hates that he can hide his lies so well that even wolves can’t detect it.   
  
But it does help.  
  
He spends more time with Isaac and Danny, getting to know the latter better. He’s smiley and sweet and all around perfect, in Stiles’ opinion. Well, perfect for Isaac. Stiles prefers his men broody, and dark and mostly absent, apparently. Derek hasn’t been around again, and it’s kind of killing Stiles. But he won’t let it stop him. He smiles and plays Monopoly with Danny and Isaac, takes candid photos of them when they’re not looking and shares his diverse knowledge with Danny on how to deal with having a werewolf for a boyfriend.  
  
It’s nice and it’s simple and Stiles likes spending time with him. He also teaches Isaac a few tricks. He teaches him how to lie better, for one thing. And he teaches him how to indirectly disobey Derek’s orders.  
  
  
“The trick is,” Stiles says, “to say something without saying it or do something without doing it. Like, for instance, if Derek says, ‘You can’t see Danny anymore.’ Well alright. Don’t see him. But he never said you couldn’t hear him, so you can always talk on the phone.”  
  
Danny and Isaac both find immense pleasure in picking out the loopholes. Stiles trusts them though; out of all the wolves, those two are least likely to abuse the power he’s just bestowed upon them.  
  
Stiles makes time to chill out with Lydia. He goes with her to the warlock who teaches her magic and ends up making a new friend. The man’s name is Allen Deaton, and not only does he tutor Lydia, but he’s also the physician for the Pack. “And a vet,” the man says, pointing to the veterinary sign above his practice. Stiles has to laugh at that. A vet that takes care of werewolves. It’s actually hilarious.   
  
Stiles learns alongside Lydia for the day, Deaton teaching him about mountain ash as the young witch practices charms and spells. A spark, he tells Stiles, is all that is needed to make it work. A spark, that is, and belief. Stiles charms the man by being able to produce both, and the rest of the afternoon is spent seeing how far that spark goes. He’s not powerful enough to become a warlock, of course, but it is fun to know he has something inside of him. And it’s also great to have the phone number of a doctor that can treat someone with supernatural symptoms and regular ones too.  
  
Stiles also makes sure that he’s around when Jackson proposes to Lydia. It’s actually hysterical, because they’re arguing, like they always are, when he does it. She’s yelling about something and he’s yelling about something else and then she throws a vase and he ducks. They’re all used to it, and Derek just rolls his eyes, present for once. Stiles likes to pretend that Derek isn’t avoiding him; he decides not to dwell on that and focus on the epic show-down between Jackson and Lydia instead.   
  
She throws something else, a book he thinks, and Jackson ignores it. Stiles takes a moment to wonder how the hell he ever thought he was in love with this nut-job when he was in high school. Because holy shit, is she a nut-job!  
  
Lydia screams and this time, it’s Jackson’s turn to throw something at her. But she stops it in the air before it hits her and lets it drop into the palm of her hand. It’s a black, velvet jewelry box. Understanding dawns on Stiles and he has a feeling that he’s about to witness something that is disgustingly cute and too close to a chick-flick or rom-com to his liking.  
  
“What the hell is this, Jackson?” Lydia snaps. She practically tears the box open, almost breaking the top off its hinges in her rage, and looks into it. “It’s a … a…” Her eyes widen and her mouth falls open as she looks up to find Jackson already dropped to one knee on the floor.  
  
  
“You piss me off to no end,” Jackson starts. “No, seriously, no one has ever been able to get under my skin in all the wrong ways like you do.” He rolls his eyes. “But you’re also the only one who can get under my skin in all the right ways.” His voice drops. “And I had all these great things to say about you and me, but I’m kind of drawing a blank right now because you look beautiful when you’re pissed off, so sometimes I do it on purpose.” He laughs now and looks up at her. “So, I think I’ll just keep it simple.”  
  
“Stupid!” Erica yells. Boyd gives a laugh and Danny smiles.  
  
Jackson shoots them Derek Hale patented Death Glares. “As I was saying,” he says, looking back to Lydia. “Will you, Lydia fucking Martin, marry me?”  
  
Lydia looks down at the box in her hands then at Jackson and gives him this stupid-happy smile. “Yes, Jackson fucking Whittemore, I will marry you. Now get off the floor and kiss me.”  
  
And he does just that.  
  
Stiles watches as the entire room erupts into cheers, a few of them voicing their wish that Scott was here, and gives himself a small smile. But then he looks over to Derek and there’s a horrible look on his face. A look of wanting and realization. And then Derek looks over to him and that look intensifies tenfold. Stiles’ breath catches in his chest and he just wants to run over to Derek and throw himself in the other man’s arms. He wants to lose himself in Derek’s kiss and just… God he wants him.   
  
Derek’s face turns into panic, and then he runs.  
  
Stiles spends the rest of the celebration alone.  
  
***  
  
The Hale House is empty. If Stiles is being honest, it’s all been leading up to this. There’s no one here, no trace of the other Betas around, just a message scrawled on a piece of paper attached to the door signed by everyone except Derek and that’s it.  Stiles kind of hates being the only human in a wolf pack. It’s one of the perks of playing at Scott, he guesses; being in the loop.   
  
Stiles kind of wishes Derek would just get out here. He can hear him moving about in the house, but he’s too nervous to move inside more and figure out where he is exactly. Too many thoughts run through his mind and he can only think of one thing: will Derek tell him why he’d been avoiding him these past few weeks? That’s all Stiles wants to know. Why has his boyfriend been avoiding him? Was it something Stiles did, was it something Stiles said? How could he know if Derek kept running every five minutes, every time they were alone together?  
  
It’s already a bad set up. Either Derek is going to kill him or… or break-up with him. Holy shit, Derek’s going to break-up with him. That’s a lot worse than killing him actually.  
  
He starts to get nervous, his stomach knotting, an ache throbbing behind his heart and then Derek’s coming back from the kitchen, looking more nervous than Stiles feels. What the hell?  
  
Stiles starts to hyperventilate and sits on the couch quickly, Derek still standing. Is this some werewolf power-trip, standing above your soon to be ex? It’s wrong, really it is, but Stiles’ legs are too weak to stand on, so he can’t do anything about it.   
  
“Do you know why you’re here?” Derek asks, his hands shoved into his pockets, standing aloof and away. His whole stance screams, ‘I don’t need you’ and Stiles wants to yell, ‘Well _I_ need _you_.” But his throat has closed up around the lump that’s formed there and he can’t yell or say anything. He merely shrugs. Derek runs a shaking hand through his hair. “I was hoping that Scott would tell you something…”  
  
Shit. Had Derek let something slip while he was masquerading as Scott? How had Stiles not noticed that? He’s so stupid, sometimes. “I –he – no, no he didn’t,” Stiles stutters, then swallows hard around the lump. He’s going to cry and it’s going to be so damn embarrassing. He sniffles. “Should he have?” Mind as well play along, he figures.  
  
“It’s… personal,” Derek mumbles. “So probably not.”  
  
“Okay,” Stiles says, his voice breaking and he takes a breath and it gets stuck because yeah. He’s going to have a panic attack. It starts with a tightening of his chest, then he can’t breathe and he’s gasping for breath, a hand fisted in his lap.  
  
“Stiles?” Derek asks and he sounds genuinely worried. “Stiles, what the hell are you-” He gets down on his knees in front of him, cupping his hands over Stiles’ knees and rubbing them. “Stiles… are you having a _panic-attack_?” Derek sounds incredulous, like he can’t think of a good reason for Stiles to be freaking out.  
  
“Well when the – the guy – I _love_ – is breaking up – with me – I’m – I’m gonna – freak out – fuck!” Because he can’t catch his breath and everything is getting fuzzy, he feels dizzy and all of a sudden, Derek is surging up and Stiles is so sure he’s going to just leave. It’s the first time Stiles has told him he loves him and Derek is breaking up with him. Great move, Stilinski.  
  
But Derek doesn’t walk out on him. Instead, he wraps his arms around Stiles, lifts him and sits on the couch with Stiles in his lap, holding him tight. “Breath,” he says, his voice unwavering. “Stiles, _breathe_ damn-it.” And Stiles does. He clings to Derek and catches his breath until he’s no longer dizzy and is aware of Derek’s lips on his forehead.  
  
“Der-”  
  
“I’m not breaking up with you,” Derek says, cutting him off. “I’m not – Stiles why would you even…?”  
  
  
“You’ve been weird and avoiding me. Clinging to Scott and I – I didn’t know what was up, because you never talk to me anymore. And then you called me over for – whatever this is.” He makes a hand gesture. “I just thought he’s either dumping me or planning my imminent death.”  
  
“I’m not doing either, the opposite if anything.” Derek clears his throat. “It’s um… I’m sorry. For being odd these past few weeks. I’ve just been figuring things out. And nervous. Really nervous. To tell you.”  
  
“To tell me what?” Stiles asks softly.  
  
“That – that I _love_ you,” Derek says with a passion to his voice that rivals only Stiles’. “And …” It sounds like Derek is gathering his strength. “And that you’re my mate.” Derek ‘s voice is low and quiet. When Stiles looks up at him, his eyes are downcast and looking off to the side. He’s in shock – hell, they both are.  
  
“What?” Stiles squeaks out, the past few weeks making sense, finally. “Derek, _Derek_ look at me,” Stiles says, sitting up and grasping Derek’s chin in his hand, turning his face so that he’s look at Stiles. “I’m your mate? _Seriously_?” Stiles feels like he’s on Cloud 9, a burst of joy exploding in his chest.  
  
“Yeah,” Derek responds. His eyes are clear and truthful and Stiles kisses him because this is it, isn’t it? Derek is his perfect half, his _mate_ – the equivalent of a human soul mate and Stiles wants him, wants him like he’s never wanted anyone before.   
  
Derek chuckles in relief and absolute happiness against his lips and says, “Slow down.”   
  
“No,” Stiles pants. He’s so happy to have Derek back and to know he can keep him. And he’s serious. He’s as serious as he’s ever been. He wants Derek and he wants this.  
  
Derek’s eyes get dark then, flashing red around his irises. He lofts Stiles off the couch, Stiles’ legs wrapped around Derek’s waist and kisses him senseless. Stiles feels him turn toward the stairs, feels apprehension fill him. Were they going there? Were they finally going there?  
  
They reach Derek’s room door and Derek presses Stiles’ back against it, buries his face in Stiles neck. He says, “Stiles. God if you do this there’s no turning back. We’re – bonded together. In a permanent kind of way.”  
  
“ _Good_ ,” Stiles responds, fisting his hands in Derek’s thick hair. “ _Good_ , I want you permanently.”   
  
“ _Stiles_ ,” Derek says again, maybe trying to berate him, maybe just moaning his name. Either way, Stiles puts an end to all the protest, slotting his mouth over Derek’s in a hot, wet kiss.  
  
Derek actually growls and yanks the door to his room open, walking them in and kicking the door closed behind them. Stiles would be impressed by his strength, but he’s a bit more concerned with his impending hard-on and Derek tossing him onto the bed. His eyes flash red in the dark and then he’s stripping his shirt off. Stiles stares, watching as Derek gets completely naked.  
  
There’s a fragile, heated moment where Derek looks up after dropping his pants and locks eyes with Stiles, and something goes through them, some bond is formed and time stops. Then Stiles chocks on his next breath and the clock starts up again. Derek crawls onto the bed and starts to help Stile sundress when he notices the younger man shaking.  
  
He gentle wraps his hands around Stiles wrists and says, “Slow. We do this slow, alright?”   
  
Stiles nods, because five seconds ago, he’d been so ready but now, he’s nervous. He still wants Derek of course he does. He just needs to go slow. After all, this was one of the most important moments of his life. Why not go slow?   
  
Derek slides Stiles’ shirt off of his pale, bony shoulders, shucking it to the floor. He makes sure to nod toward Stiles before he unfastens the button-fly on Stiles jeans. He pulls those down with Stiles’ underwear, Stiles’ cock springing free, and the kid lets out a gasp of relief. Derek wraps a strong hand around his dick, the other holding him down by the hip.  
  
“Holy-”  
  
“Fuck,” Derek finishes as Stiles’ eyes roll into the back of his head and he moans. This isn’t so scary. It’s, well it’s kind of awesome actually. “You’re so damn responsive. Look at you.” Derek keeps his hand moving, thumbing at Stiles’ head and shit. He’ll come just from this, especially as Derek leans over and _sucks_ at his nipples, hardening the sensitive nubs.  
  
“Derek, ugh, gonna – gonna come. Don’t want to yet, not without you,” Stiles gasps, because wasn’t sex supposed to be together?  
  
“No, wanna see you,” Derek murmurs. He slides down Stiles’ body, his tongue licking its way down. Once he reaches Stiles’ crotch, he nuzzles the crease of his leg, right at the groin and breathes across it, making Stiles shiver. “Wanna _taste_ you. Be loose before I get in you.” And then he gentle takes Stiles into his mouth, hollowing out his cheeks and _sucking_.  
  
Stiles comes undone; Derek swallows every last drop.  
  
“ _Mine_ ,” Derek growls, letting Stiles out of his mouth, slithering up his body to slide their mouths together. Stiles keens under him, tasting himself in Derek’s mouth. He’s in a daze, his mind cloudy with pleasure.  
  
“Want you,” Stiles says. “ _Now_.” His hands slide down Derek’s back, landing on his ass, squeezing handfuls. Derek’s hard and leaking against his stomach and his eyes are flashing again. They’re both high off the scents of sex and swear and for Derek the scent of _Stiles_ in the room. He wants to mark him up, shower Stiles in his own scent so everyone knows who he belongs to.  
  
Stiles nods his head hard, because that’s all he really wants too. No, he’s not too sure on what he’s doing (he’s had one or two hook-ups, but nothing penetrative) but he trusts Derek with this, and he’s pretty sure that’s the only thing that matters.  
  
  
“ _Derek_ ,” Stiles says, and it comes out as more of a beg, Derek’s eyes flashing. A growl rips from the older man’s throat, something deep and animalistic, and kisses Stiles hard before reaching over into his bedside table drawer for something . Derek comes back with a tube and packet. He clicks the tube open, slathering a dollop of lube onto his first two fingers.  
  
“Ready?” Derek asks softly. Stiles nods, his hands gripping Derek’s shoulders. The first finger goes in easy enough, Stiles forcing his body to relax, his hole slackening around Derek’s finger. His body immediately tenses up when Derek adds a second finger. Stiles’ breath catches as he swallows and Derek slows his pace, his fingers scissoring him open. It burns and yeah, it hurt, but he’s guessing there’s a reason people like doing this, so it has to get better.  
  
Stiles resolves to stick it out, even if it’s not that great, if only because Derek is being so damn gentle with him when all of a sudden, a spark of pleasure goes through him and he gasps. Derek’s face gets smug, a small smile coming to his face as he twists his fingers again, hitting that spot inside of Stiles that’s making him see stars. Stiles’ skin gets feverish, making him shudder as Derek’s skin presses against his body. Everything feels like a live-wire now as Derek moves against him and Stiles starts to get hard again, starts to push back on Derek’s fingers.  
  
“Shit, Derek,” Stiles moans. It’s actually one of the best feelings he’s ever hand and he’s starting to get frantic with need. “Do it,” he says, breathless. “Do it, oh do it _please_.”  
  
It’s the please that does it, Stiles thinks, because Derek growls as he pulls all three of his broad fingers out, Stiles hissing at the loss. He goes for the packet ripping open the foil, pulling out a condom. And that’s when Stiles pants, “ _No_.”  
  
Derek freezes condom half-way to his dick. “No…?”  
  
Stiles wants to sit up, but right now he’s too concerned with sex to bother making the effort for face to face. “No condom. You can’t catch anything, I don’t have anything and you can’t give me anything because you don’t have anything. And I – I –I love you,” Stiles pants out. He knows in his heart this is the right decision.  
  
Derek face crumbles then, and he bends over after slicking himself up to say, “And I love you.”   
  
Then Derek’s pressing against Stiles’ slack entrance, pushing his slippery dick inside of him and Stiles holds his breath, makes his body relax because it burns and he’s being stretched to more than he thinks he can take. Derek whispers nonsense into his shoulder until his hips are pressed to Stiles’ ass and he’s all the way in. He stops, leaving it up to Stiles to decide when to move.  
  
After a few minutes, Stiles finally nods and says, “Move,” in a wrecked voice.  
  
So Derek does.  
  
At first, it’s like he’s being pulled, and there’s an uncomfortable drag as Derek moves in and out of his ass. But then, Derek changes his angle and hits that sweet spot again, and the pain starts to melt and mix with the pleasure sparking through him.    
  
“Der-Derek, ah – ah – ah,” Stiles says, keeping up the litany as Derek increases his speed and fucks into him, his cock bobbing in and out, Stiles’ legs wrapped around his waist. His cock gets trapped between them, rubbing against their bellies and the warmth starts to build inside of him again, at the base of his spine. Derek keeps up his steady rhythm, grunting as he moves into him, moaning every few thrusts at the tight heat that is Stiles around his own dick, that sweet ring of muscle wrapped around it.   
  
“Oh god,” Stiles says, his voice high and hysteric. “Oh fuck, _Derek_.”  
  
“Stiles,” Derek whispers and his hand creeps up between them, pumping Stiles’ dick as he thrusts. Stiles can’t take it, can’t keep going and when Derek simultaneously pulls his dick and hits his prostate, he comes, seeing stars and swearing he blacks out.  
  
When the white leaves his eyes Derek is still thrusting but it’s different. He seems desperate and suddenly, he’s turning Stiles on his side, fucking into him that way. He yells and Stiles thinks he’s come, but he hasn’t, he’s still going and there’s something else. Something else pushing past the rim of his hole, forcing him open. Stiles cries out and hisses in pain, not understanding, but Derek soothes him, his words sounding strained and broken. Whatever it is pops inside of Stiles, locking Derek in place, pressing against his prostate so that every time Derek moves, it sends a shiver of pleasure down Stiles’ spine.   
  
Derek shivers and spills into him, a hand coming up to rub at Stiles’ belly from where they are, spooning on the bed. He’s still inside of Stiles, his come staying in. Stiles pants, laying on his side, and says, “What the hell just happened?”  
  
“We… bonded,” Derek says. And then he sighs and whispers against the back of Stiles’ neck. “And I… knotted you.”  
  
A knot. Like a dog. Derek stuck a fucking knot inside of him. Oh great.  
  
“And how long is this gonna take?” Stiles asks. “Just out of curiosity.”  
  
Derek huffs a laugh against his neck. “As long as I need it to. I’ll probably come a few more times before it goes down enough to come out.”  
  
“Ah,” Stiles says eloquently. “Well in that case.” He snuggles up against Derek’s chest, getting comfortable, inhaling sharply at every move he makes, the knot rubbing up against his prostate. “Will this happen every time?” he asks.  
  
He feels Derek shrug behind him. “I don’t know. It’s only every happened with you. So.”  
  
“Because I’m your mate,” Stiles says, his voice very matter-of-fact.  
  
“Yeah,” Derek says. For the first time in weeks he sounds content.  
  
“So this is what you’ve been freaking out over?” Stiles asks quietly. “That I’m your mate? Is it because I’m human or-”  
  
“Never,” Derek growls. “It will never be because of that. Alright?”   
  
Stiles nods his head. “Okay. Okay.”  
  
They’re quiet after that, and Derek does come a few more times, but so does Stiles. On his final go, Derek presses into him slowly, roughly, and bites down on Stiles’ collarbone as he comes. His eyes flash red and Stiles actually yells as his orgasm rips through him. He feels wetness on his chest and… oh shit. He’s bleeding.  
  
“Oh my god,” he says, his voice horrified. “Did you just – did you just turn me?” he asks.  
  
Derek starts to lap at the small bite mark on Stiles’ skin. “No,” he says in-between licks, his tongue soothing Stiles’ hurt. “My teeth weren’t wolfed-out. I bit you normally.”  
  
“Um… why? And why are you licking me, that is so gross,” Stiles says as Derek slides out of him. He hisses at the loss, his hole stretched and sore and probably a livid red color.   
  
“It’s my mark. My promise to you that I’ll always be here,” Derek says quietly. “It lets other wolves know you’re mine and that you aren’t to be touched. It shows that you’re my mate.” Stiles can practically hear the frown coming. “And I’m licking you so you can heal faster. My saliva is full of anti-bodies that-”  
  
“Okay, I don’t care. C’mere,” Stiles says, flipping over. He can already feel the bite scabbing over. He snuggles to Derek’s chest, pressing close, craving the feeling. A little bit of come leaks out his hole and slides down his leg, but Stiles doesn’t mind. It’s fine. “Love you,” he says sleepily.   
  
Derek wraps his arms around Stiles, burying his face in his hair. He takes a deep breath, giving a whole body shudder and holds him tighter. “I love you. I do, Stiles I do. Never think otherwise, because I will never stop loving you.”  
  
And in that moment, Stiles feels the safest he’s ever been.  
  
***  
  
Sex is great, Stiles concurs. He loves it. Sex with Derek is the greatest, though. Derek’s learned his body’s quirks and exactly what Stiles likes.   
  
Like his gimpy knee that is so damn sensitive, he comes whenever Derek mouths at it, not even needing to be touched. Or the way his neck is so damn sensitive, how he loves it when Derek marks him up, leaving bruises. The other Betas look at him with smiles when he’s Stiles and they see the bruises. They look at him with befuddled faces when he’s ‘Scott’ and is wearing scarves in the house, just to hide the marks.   
  
But Stiles knows Derek’s body too. How he loves to have his balls played with, his nipples flicked and bitten. He knows how Derek howls sometimes when he comes, how he holds Stiles close when they’re knotted together, their bodies linked and hot, sticky with sweat and thick with the smell of each other’s scents all over their bodies.   
  
They experiment a lot in the bedroom as well. Sometimes Stiles is on top, riding Derek until he comes and Derek is plugged up inside of him. Then he’ll sit in Derek’s lap as they talk things over, talk about the day and things they want to do in the future. It’s nice and sweet and easy and right. God it is so right. It is the rightist thing Stiles will ever do in his life and he knows it. He knows it and Derek knows it and the Pack knows it.   
  
And he pushes the thought of leaving down and down and down until it is out of sight and out of mind.  
  
***  
  
Derek tells ‘Scott’ first.   
  
“We need to talk,” he says and Stiles lets the other man pull him into a quiet room upstairs.  
  
“Yeah?” Stiles asks. All he wants to do right now is jump Derek’s bones, but really, he can’t. He’s masquerading as Scott right now, so he has to keep the ruse up for a little while, at least, before he changes into his clothes for Stiles.   
  
“I… It’s personal, but it affects you. You can’t be mad, because – because it’s a natural thing, and just because it happened with us-”  
  
“Derek are you stalling?” Stiles says. Because he is, damn-it! “This is the first time I think I’ve ever seen you stalling!” Stiles exclaims. “This is awesome oh my god. What the hell are you stalling about?”  
  
Derek sighs. “I… I bonded with your brother.”  
  
There’s a moment of silence in the room because… did Derek just tell him what he thought he told him? Derek, secretive and broody, had admitted to ‘Scott’ that he had mated and bonded with Stiles? Holy shit. _Holy shit_. Derek trusted him that much. Derek really trusted his ‘Scott’ that much.  
  
“Oh my god.”  
  
“Don’t you _dare_ get mad,” Derek says and Stiles laughs in euphoric glee.  
  
“What? No. Dude this is _awesome_. Congrats. I’m gonna have to pop by and see Stiles and give him a hug.” He grins wide. Derek is admitting it to him. He’s trusting him. This is awesome.  
  
Derek gives him a smile. “Yeah… He’s….” Derek sighs. “I do love him Scott, okay? I do.” Stiles nods, because he knows this very well and in many different positions. “Which is why I have to ask you not to tell the other Betas.”  
  
Stiles freezes. Wait, what? “Um… excuse me?”  
  
“We need some time to strengthen our bond. It’s… different for us.” How could it be different? Boyd and Erica had done it. Jackson and Lydia had done it. The real Scott and Allison had done it. He’s pretty sure Isaac and Danny were going to do it soon. Why was it different for Derek and Stiles? “The type of wolf I am with a human mate it’s… we need time. And we don’t need Pack instinct getting in the way. I need to explain some things to Stiles, and he needs to learn to deal with that without the Pack getting in the way. Alright? Can you do this for me?  
  
Stiles is so fucking confused. He really is. The type of wolf he is? Pack instinct? What? But he promises as Scott, not even thinking of the words coming out of his mouth. He’d do anything for Derek, even if it ended up hurting himself in the end.  
  
But it’s been two months. Maybe more. And Derek doesn’t want to tell anyone who he’s mated with.   
  
And that just… _hurts_.  
  
***  
  
It’s the worst call Stiles has ever had the unfortunate privilege to receive since the phone call stating that his mother had terminal cancer.   
  
“Stiles?”  
  
“ _Scott!_ ”  
  
“I’m at the airport man!”  
  
The airport. As in Scott was in California again. With his new bride in tow. And he was in California and wanted to come back into his Pack. Oh god. How was Stiles supposed to explain all of this away?  
  
“Oh, man, that’s – that’s great. I can’t wait to see you and to see Allison.” Stiles swallows hard past the lump in his throat. He knew this day was coming. So why is he getting so emotional about it?  
  
“I know, it’s awesome. Right man? So, like, call the Pack, tell them to expect me tomorrow, around noon, got it?” Scott sounds so happy while he’s ruining Stiles’ life. It must be a talent.  
  
“Yeah, yeah, definitely man. Okay,” Stiles says, hanging up.  
  
He cries for two hours straight.  
  
And then the next day, he heads over to the Hale House one last time to pack up his things and try to work out in his mind how he’s going to fix this and tell everyone that for the past year he’s been a liar.  
  
 _Oh god_.


	7. So This Is The Part In The Movie That Amanda Bynes Flashes Everyone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand this is where everything goes wrong.
> 
> Shit meet fan. I'm sure you'll get along great.

Stiles gets into the house easy enough. Everyone’s out training in the backyard, and only Derek sees him sneak in. The older man follows him inside. Currently, ‘Scott’ is the only one in the Pack to know that Derek has bonded with Stiles. It irks Stiles a bit, but he wants to just sign that off as irritation that his good days are coming to an end.   
  
Still, he can’t help thinking of that. Thinking of how much he doesn’t want to go, how he doesn’t want to leave Derek. How he can’t bear it, can’t stand it. Derek will have to hear him out, won’t he? When Stiles explains, Derek will understand what he did. They’re mates, after all. They need to give each other the benefit of the doubt. Or so he hopes.   
  
Or maybe Derek will just think of everything that’s wrong with Stiles, will realize that Stiles isn’t good enough for him. That he can do so much better and he’ll take it back, he’ll take it all back and Stiles… Stiles will be alone again. _Because he lied_. He’ll be alone because he fucking lied, _oh god_. Why did he think any of this was a good idea? Why?  
  
And it’s so hard not to say anything, to just pack up as Derek broods in the doorway, an odd look on his face, like he’s got a bad case of déjà vu going on. Derek probably thinks he’s just packing up dirty laundry or something. He wishes that were the case. And Stiles is a bit bitter that Scott is coming and he has to clear out, that he’s lying to Derek still, even after they’ve been bonded and mated. He doesn’t get why he’s being so emotional about it, but it feels like he’s being replaced as Derek’s best friend and that hurts as much as lying to him hurts. He doesn’t know what to talk about as he packs but then he remembers the conversation earlier, how Derek wouldn’t tell anyone that they’d mated, probably was embarrassed that Stiles still wasn’t a wolf and wouldn’t take the bite.   
  
Stiles feels his ears burn in shame and suddenly he’s saying, “What do you even see in my brother?”  
  
“What?” Derek asks, actually shocked, and of course he is. It’s his best friend rashing on his boy friend. What the hell is Stiles doing?  
  
“Yeah, what do you see in Stiles? I mean, currently, I’m the only one who knows you guys are mated. Is it cos he’s human? I mean , I know he’s scrawny and all he’s got going for him are the brains, but I didn’t know that was your thing.” And all the things Stiles hates about himself are coming out. Shit, he can’t help it.   
  
“Now wait a minute,” Derek barks, stalking into the room.  
  
Stiles couldn’t care less. “What with his ADD and his lack of focus, how do you put up with him? Do you even want to? I mean, it’s not like he’s got any special attributes like Lydia or Allison and hell, for a human, even Danny’s got more on him. So what I want to know is-”  
  
“Now you listen here,” the wolf says, slamming him up against a wall, a forearm at his throat. “You have no _idea_ how much I love your brother. Where do you get off saying those kinds of things about your own flesh and blood? How dare you,” and now he’s right in Stile’s face, “talk about the _mate_ of the Alph-”   
  
Derek freezes and Stiles isn’t sure what he was going to say, all he knows is that he’s simultaneously terrified and turned on, so when Derek bares his teeth, he immediately submits, tilting his head to the side, bearing his neck to him on instinct. It’s not until Derek hooks a finger into his collar and drags it down to expose the mark he made claiming him as his mate that Stiles realizes what just happened.  
  
“Oh fuck,” he swears, but it’s too late because horror and comprehension are on Derek’s face as he sniffs the mark then recoils in shock.   
  
“No, no you’re _Scott_ … but the _mark_ … and what you were _saying_ …” His eyes grow huge, then he steps as far from Stiles as possible and says, “You _lied_ to me.” Stiles takes a minute to realize how Derek must be feeling: like his best friend and his mate have betrayed him.  
  
“ _No_ ,” Stiles says walking forward, but Derek flinches and backs up, hurt showing clearly on his face because he’s never been good at hiding his emotions from either Stiles or Scott. And of course, now that he knows they’re the same person… “No. Shit, Scott, he’s – he’s my best friend. His mate was being held by her dad, Allison Argent, it’s all true. Everything I told you was true,” Stiles begs. “Except that we’re friends, not brothers, though we’re so close we’d mind as well be.”  
  
“So all this time you’ve just been pretending? So he could keep his spot in the Pack?” Derek snarls.  
  
“Yes,” Stiles says, then backtracks. “ _No_. Not… not pretending – I mean, I was but, god, Derek, everything I’ve told you as Scott and as myself, I swear, I wasn’t pretending. I _swear_. Please, _trust_ me.”  
  
“And who should I trust?” Derek  spits. “Scott, my best friend, or _Stiles_ ,” and now he swallows hard, like he’s holding back tears and if Derek cried and it’s Stiles’ fault, he will legitimately _die_ , “my _mate_?” like it’s a dirty word, makes Stiles’ heart ache.  
  
“Both of them Derek, we’re the same person!” he yells. Derek gets into his personal space then. But Stiles doesn’t flinch. That’ll make worse.  
  
“That mark,” he growls, pulling down Stiles’ collar again to point at the pink mark, “was my promise to you. Where’s _yours_?”  
  
Stiles would answer, is about to answer, but then Isaac crashes in, a worried loon on his face. He swallows hard and gives them a passing look then says, “Derek we have a problem. A big problem. A _huge_ problem.”  
  
Derek steps back from Stiles, hell he dismisses him and that’s like a slap to the face. “What’s happening?” Derek asks gruffly. And Stiles doesn’t know why they always refer to Derek for these things, but whatever.   
  
“There’s… there’s a wolf here claiming he’s Scott McCall,” and Derek’s eyes widen. “But Boyd and Jackson told him it was impossible and then there was a fight and Erica got involved and now they tied the guy up and they’re gonna execute him.” Isaac sounds a bit terrified, like none of this had been his idea, and it probably hadn’t been.  
  
Derek looks to Stiles for confirmation so he asks, “Does he have an uneven jaw-line?” Isaac nods, a bit confused, and Stiles swears and nods back to Derek. Scott must have gotten back early and with no knowledge of what Stiles had done had thought he could just enter into the compound without a care in the world. Same old Scott, with his potato tendencies.  
  
Together, the three of them make it out to the front of the Hale House. It’s a disaster. Scott is wolfed out, hell, everyone is wolfed out. Scott is also tied to a tree and Boyd is standing in front of him yelling, “Imposter! No one threatens our Pack!” while Scott is growling, “I’m _part_ of your Pack!” There’s more growling and howling. It’s getting ugly.  
  
But Derek, Derek just waltzes in there and growls, “ _Stop_.” And everyone just stops, even Scott and what the hell. _What. The. Hell?_ “Scott McCall?” Derek asks and Scott slowly nods. “Boyd, untie him.” And Boyd growls but complies. Jackson looks at Erica, confused. Isaac looks really lost and turns to Stiles, but he’s just as confused. Scott nods to Derek who nods back in acknowledgment.   
  
“What the hell is going on?” Scott asks. Then Scott see shim and it’s all over. “ _Stiles!_ ”  
  
Everyone but Scott and Derek freeze and then Boyd says, “… I thought that was Scott. He’s wearing Scott’s clothes. He _smells_ like Scott.”  
  
Jackson shakes his head. “He smells like _Derek_.”  
  
This gets everyone’s attention. “But if he’s Scott, then… are you just… _Stiles?_ You guys… don’t look like each other. I don’t understand what’s happening,” Erica says bluntly.  
  
“Just Stiles,” Stiles whispers, because it looks like Derek is abandoning him to this. “I – I was both Scott – the one that you know, not the real one - and myself. Scott needed to rescue his mate so I covered for him here so he wouldn’t lose his spot in the Pack,” Stiles explains haltingly. “We’re friends, not… not twins. But I swear, I swear guys, I was never pretending to be your friend. I – I swear,” and he’s getting all emotional again. What the hell?  
  
“Stiles,” Scott says quietly. And then he hugs him. “Thanks man. Thank you.” When he pulls back, his nose wrinkles. “Wow, man. That other guy is right, you do smell like Alpha.”  
  
Stiles rolls his eyes. “Well, we’re… wait, what?” His throat closes up and now he can’t breathe. “Jackson said I smelled like Derek, not the Alpha.”  
  
Scott, hell everyone is making a face. “Derek _is_ the Alpha,” Isaac says in mild confusion.   
  
  
It’s like a sucker punch to the chest and all the air rushes out of him. Stiles turns to Derek and – oh god his eyes are red, Alpha red just like Derek explained to him all those months ago. Stiles is the Alpha’s mate. He was the Alpha’s best friend. And he lied to the Alpha. Then again, Derek’s been lying to him.  
  
“So. I thought that mark was a promise,” Stiles says quietly.  
  
“You obviously didn’t deserve it,” Derek growls back, his eyes dimming and god. God, that hurt. The other wolves look like they’ve been slapped.  
  
“Wait, Stiles is your-” Isaac starts.   
  
“It doesn’t matter. Erica, Boyd: go set up Scott in his room. Jackson, start dinner. Isaac, would you be so kind as to drive _Mr. Stilinski_ home?” And then he turns on his heel and walks off into the woods, turning and then bounding off.   
  
Stiles tries not to cry but he starts to shake and Isaac is on one side, Scott’s on the other. Boyd is in front of him and even Jackson looks sympathetic as Erica gets in on the circle.  
  
“Oh God, oh God,” Stiles says as his knees give out and he collapses, Scott and Isaac catching him under his arms. “I – I can’t… Scott, what do I…?”   
  
“Panic attack, he’s having a panic attack,” Scott tells the other Betas and suddenly they’re in a protective circle around him, Isaac supporting his weight, Boyd telling him to breathe. Everything’s swirling, Stiles is trying to breathe and only the thought of Derek being somewhere near by calms him down. Until he remembers that they’re through, they’re done and _oh god_ , this will never get better.  
  
“I can’t, Scott I can’t _live_ … I can’t – _not_ without him, I can’t… _I can’t_ …” Stiles can’t string together sentences. He can’t focus. “I can’t …. _Scott_.” He can’t put into words how horrible he feels, being rejected by his mate, his freaking mate. Dear Jesus, this is not fair. _At all_.  
  
“He needs to get home,” he hears Scott say.   
  
“Yeah, but none of us know where that is. Stiles always came to us, and then he was… he was Scott, _our Scott_ and-” Isaac sounds lost.  
  
“I can call Allison. We need to calm Derek down,” Scott says. “She knows, she’ll take him.”  
  
“That’s fine,” Boyd says. “Jackson, start dinner, like Derek said. So he sees that we’re getting to it. Erica and I will get Scott set up after he calls Allison. Isaac can wait with Stiles until she comes, alright?” Everyone nods and Stiles, well, he passes out.   
  
***  
  
Stiles wakes up in the back of an SUV. He groans and is met with a concerned, “You awake?”  
  
“Allison?” He used to know her in high school. They were all friends.   
  
Sure enough, her dimpled face peeks back at him and the car stops. A look out the window shows they’re at his apartment. God he hasn’t been here in ages. He sits up and she turns in her seat.   
  
“Hey. You feeling better? Am I going to get eaten alive by those wolves or…?” She’s still smiling. He’s actually really glad to see her.  
  
“No, no they’re ok. Everyone’s…” Stiles trails off as everything hits him and then he’s crying. Again. God what the hell?  
  
“Oh shit, Scott told me about… well, about your mate not being who you thought he was and…” Now Allison trails off, awkward.   
  
“He’s the _Alpha_. And he _disowned_ me,” Stiles sobs out. He’s actually getting a bit worried about the fact that he can’t control his emotions right now.  
  
“Stiles? Are you alright?” Allison sounds worried.  
  
“I don’t know,” he says, honestly. “I… don’t _know_.”   
  
She frowns. “Should I call Scott? You don’t look so good.”  
  
“No, no. Just… I need to go home. I need… I just…” And then he runs from the car because he doesn’t know what’s wrong with him and he wants Derek but Derek doesn’t want him anymore and nothing is going right. Nothing.


	8. This Is Stiles' Version of Asking Derek To The Debutante Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit gets even worse before it gets better.
> 
> And Stiles gets a little surprise.

Stiles finally gives in and goes to Deaton when he starts to throw up. It’s just a morning thing, and sometimes hits him at night. He can’t eat certain things, feels nauseous. It’s been two weeks since he last heard from Derek and it’s… it’s torture. He hates it, but he can’t make himself pick up the phone and call, too afraid of getting shot down or rejected.  
  
He heads to Deaton’s on a weekend, bundled up against the early April chill. The other man is waiting for him, Stiles having called ahead. He smiles and nods.   
  
“Mr. Stilinski,” he says, but then he hugs Stiles and says, “How are you?”  
  
Stiles’ throat closes up. “I… I just want to know what’s wrong. And then I can get out of your hair. Promise.”  
  
Deaton nods and then lets him go with a nod. “Right. Let’s run a few tests.”  
  
Deaton gets him comfortable, does some blood work and Stiles sits around for the next hour, looking through old magazines. When Deaton finally comes out, he’s got a constipated look on his face. Stiles is up out of his seat, worried.   
  
“What, what is it? What’s wrong?”  
  
Deaton is shaking his head. “Stiles… did you mate with Alpha Derek?”  
  
There’s a moment when Stiles wants to scream and then he says, “Wait, did everyone know he was the Alpha but me?!”  
  
Deaton’s face goes pale. “Stiles…”  
  
“ _Yes_ , alright? I mated with Derek. Bonded and mated, the whole shebang.”  
  
“And bred,” Deaton says.  
  
Stiles freezes. “What?”  
  
Deaton sits down next to Stiles as he sinks into a chair and hands him his paperwork. “You have elevated levels of progesterone and estrogen in your system. I did another blood test, one I’d do with pregnant dogs. You tested positive.”  
  
Stiles is still staring at the sheet of paper. He’s not even supposed to have those hormones in his body.  “I… how did this even…?” He’s speechless, and a hand immediately goes to his abdomen. Off the walls hormones, morning sickness. It all makes sense. Except it doesn’t because he’s a man after all, so really. What the hell?  
  
“Alpha mates… they… their bodies go through changes to meet the needs of their Alpha. So… your body changed to meet Derek’s need for breeding,” Deaton explains gently.   
  
“Are you sure?” Stiles asks, and his voice sounds so small, he sounds so fragile. “Are you… can you be positive?”  
  
“We can do an ultrasound,” Deaton says. “We can do that right now if you like. Do you want to do that Stiles?”  
  
Stiles nods, and he can’t swallow, his throat is all closed up and he might be having a panic attack because this doctor, not even that he’s a vet, is telling him that he has a tiny, half-human/half –wolf life inside of him. He has a living thing inside of him. Oh shit.  
  
“Stiles?”  
  
“Yeah, let’s do that. Can we please do that?” and he sounds almost hysteric.  
  
Deaton is gentle when he helps Stiles lay on the table. He’s still gentle as he’s putting the goop on Stiles’ stomach, and he’s gentle as he traces the ultrasound wand across the cold jelly on Stiles’ stomach. The grainy picture that comes up on the screen takes Stiles’ breath away. It’s small and fetal-like, curled up and beautiful.  
  
Stiles can’t breathe.  
  
  
“There they are,” Deaton says calmly, like this happens every day. “A fetus, almost two months along. Healthy, strong. We’ll be able to hear their heartbeat soon.”  
  
But Stiles can’t think. There’s a baby inside of him. There is a _baby_ inside of him. He needs a moment to process. Or several.   
  
“How…” He’s speechless. But he’s also a Stilinski, and not just any Stilinski, the Stilinski that an Alpha chose as his mate. Stiles swallows hard and does what he does best: he soldiers on. “What do I need to do?”  
  
Deaton doesn’t look surprised at this turn of events. He’d always known what kind of person Stiles was. If anything, the guy looks proud. “Well, I’ll be getting you your prenatal vitamins. They should be in by next week. You need slightly less than normal pregnant women do, since you’re giving birth to a wolf, and not a full human. You’ll also need a lot more protein than usual.”  
  
“I can handle that.”  
  
“I’m glad you’re taking this seriously,” Deaton says.   
  
Stiles only gives him a frown. “Why wouldn’t I? This is my child we’re talking about. Of course I’m going to do all in my power to keep them healthy and safe.”  
  
  
“You sure about that?”   
  
“Yes!” Stiles says, adamant.   
  
“Then you need to tell Derek,” Deaton says and smirks when Stiles’ face falls. “A mother is always strongest during pregnancy with her mate around. You’ll need Derek to keep your cub healthy. And,” he says as an afterthought, “he deserves to know. He doesn’t have much family left and this is his child too.”  
  
And Stiles gets all of that, but how does he explain to Deaton that Derek doesn’t want him anymore? “I’m not his favorite person right now.”  
  
“You’d be surprised, Mr. Stilinski,” he says as he leads Stiles to the door. “You’d be surprised what love can do to a person.”  
  
As Stiles walks back to the Jeep, he thinks, no. No he wouldn’t be surprised. He’s in love. He knows exactly what that kind of thing does.   
  
***  
  
Stiles gets home and looks at his phone. He doesn’t call Derek.  
  
But then again, as the days pass, no one calls him. Which is pretty damn strange if you ask him.  
  
***  
  
A month. It’s been a month since Stiles last saw Derek, two weeks since he got the confirmation on his situation from Deaton. There’s something wrong though, because he hasn’t heard from anyone in the Pack, not even Scott. Hell, Lydia, Allison and Danny haven’t even called. It’s not normal. There has to be something going on.  
  
He picks up the phone – not only because its waited long enough and Derek needs to know about _it_ , but also because there’s something off and he’s _worried_ – and dials the Hale House number. There’s a part of him that hopes Derek picks up, because he misses him, misses the sound of his voice. Another part of him hopes it’s someone else so he can set up a meeting without talking to Derek because, God, he is _terrified_. There’s another part of him that hopes he gets the answering machine.  
  
Isaac picks up.  
  
“Hello?” he asks and Stiles debates hanging up.  
  
He doesn’t.  
  
“Isaac?” It’s Stiles.” The mood changes instantly.  
  
“Stiles? Shit, what, what is it?” He sounds nervous and Stiles can hear Erica say in the background, “Oh _shit_.”  
  
“What’s going on?” he asks, slipping into his old role as Pack Mom easily. “Isaac, are you guys ok? Can I come over?” He’s worried now and the fact that Derek doesn’t want him anymore isn’t even in his head.   
  
“No! No, Don’t. We – we’re fine. We are,” Isaac says and Stiles has a feeling he’s holding back. Huh.  
  
“How’s – how’s Derek?” he asks because he has to, because he needs to know, at least for now.  
  
There’s a sharp inhale and Isaac says, “There’s – there’s an emergency.” And that’s all he says.  
  
Stiles’ heart drops to his stomach and he hopes it didn’t hit the baby. “An emergency with _Derek_?” His throat is so dry, he can’t breathe. Shit. He might be having a panic attack.   
  
“There’s an _emergency_ , Stiles,” Isaac emphasizes. And then he hangs up. Stiles states at the phone and then grabs his coat and keys and rushes out his apartment door. Clearly the Betas have been given express orders not to tell him anything. Clearly there’s something wrong. Clearly Derek’s involved. _Clearly_.  
  
He gets to the Hale House in record time and Isaac is outside, fidgeting. “I thought you might not come,” he admits and the first thing he does is hug Stiles. “Missed you, Mama Wolf.”  
  
“Miss you too,” Stiles says, holds back the tears, and then lets Isaac leas him inside. Erica shuts the door behind them and scowls.  
  
“Derek’s going to be pissed,” she says, but doesn’t sound like she cares much about that fact. She hugs him quick and then leads him up to Derek’s room.  
  
Opening the door, he sees Boyd and Jackson playing at doctor. Derek is in bed, pale, shivering and sweaty. His eyes are closed as he tosses and turns and Stiles rushes over to his bedside. Derek is murmuring, delirious. All Stiles can do is watch as he suffers, moaning in pain and discomfort.   
  
“What happened?” Stiles demands. God, his heart is breaking. “What the hell happened?” Derek moans again and Stiles snaps at Jackson to get him a bowl of ice water and a face towel.   
  
“There – there was-” and Erica can’t speak for once, instead goes to the foot of the bed and lifts the sheet. There’s a bandage on Derek’s ankle soaked through with blood.  
  
Stiles gasps. “When was the last time you changed that?”  
  
“Five minutes ago,” Boyd says curtly.  
  
“What happened?” Stiles demands again, his voice breaking on the end of it. “And what _is_ that?” He pulls the covers off to reveal black veins slithering up Derek’s body from the wound. It stops mid-chest, but it’s _so_ close to his heart.   
  
Boyd takes over from there as Jackson returns with what Stiles asked for. Together, they cover the Alpha back up and Stiles starts sponging his brow.   
  
“An unknown group of hunters came through. They tracked us here and started making threats. Derek told them we had a standing alliance with the local hunters and that they had no need to bother with us,” Boyd stars. “They took pot shots at us in the front yard instead. Someone got an arrow through Isaac,” and at this the young wolf looks away. “Scott went to drag him back. The guy with the gun aimed at them and Derek got the boys out of the way.” Boyd pauses. “It still got him above the ankle.”  
  
“But what _was_ it?” Stiles begs to know.  
  
“Wolfsbane laced bullet,” Erica whispers.  
  
Stiles’ blood runs cold. “Wolfsbane. _Wolfsbane?_   The shit wolves are deathly allergic to? It’s in his _blood system_? It’s killing him!” Stiles barks out and god, god his world is ending. “Why did he even go outside?” he wonders in dismay, because Derek is smarter than that.  
  
The four wolves look at each other and Stiles knows the jug is up. “What?”  
  
“He was going to talk to you,” Boyd admits and all the breath ruses out of him. “said if he came back without you, that would be the end. He’d let you have your peace after he apologized.”  
  
“A-apologized. To _me_ ,” Stiles intones.  
  
“When he came back from being shot, he ordered us not to call you. Said he didn’t want your forgiveness because of sympathy. He said he’d-” Erica swallows hard and _god_ , is she going to _cry_? “He said he’d apologize and make it up to you when he got better, and if he didn’t get better-”  
  
“ _Stop_ ,” Stiles demands. “Just – just stop.”  
  
“ _No_. If he didn’t get better, Isaac is supposed to tell you that Derek loved you and is totally sorry for what he’s done and – and _deserves_ this” She doesn’t believe the last part; no one does.  
  
“ _No one_ deserves _this_ ,” Stiles gasps. He strokes the side of Derek’s face, feels his heart clench, his throat close. “and is there a way to fix this?” Does he have any hope at all, he means?  
  
“Yes,” Jackson says and he looks smug. Oh god, what did Lydia do now? “Lydia found it-” See? “- you have to get a bullet of the same kind and take the Wolfsbane in that one, burn it and smear the asks into the wound. It’ll heal after that.”  
  
“Is that where the others are?” Stiles asks quietly, fingers shakily running through Derek’s sweat-damp hair.  
  
“Yeah,” Isaac says. “Scott and Allison took off after the bullet. Lydia insisted she go too and Danny claimed he should drive. So.” Isaac swallows at that last comment. “they didn’t take Chris Argent because he’s an official hunter and can get killed for this, but Allison associates as a Pack hunter, so she’ll be fine.”  
  
“How long?” Stiles asks, his voice almost fading out. Thank God they’re all wolves and have the super hearing to hear him with .  
  
“He’s been like this for two weeks,” Erica says, and shit. Shit. That would make it the day Stiles got the news. Derek could have come over, they would have worked it out and they’d be celebrating a new life right now, not mourning an old one.  
  
“Why so long?” he asks, wringing out more water for Derek’s forehead.  
  
“It took Lyds about a week to find the info,” Jackson says. “It’s taken almost another one to get the bulled. Haven’t heard from them since this morning.”  
  
Stiles nods, makes his decision. “Ok,” and he gets comfortable.  
  
“You’re staying?” Boyd asks.  
  
And Stiles snaps, “My _mate_ , the man I love and am _in love_ with is _dying_. So _yes_ , I’m staying.” They can’t make him leave. Plus he’s the Alpha’s mate. He’s pretty sure he’s got seniority over all of them.  
  
“Alright then,” Erica says, accepting it. “You hungry?” Holy shit, is she going to brave the kitchen for him? He nods and in turn she nods to Boyd. “Let’s go. You, with me.” And of course she brings the Cordon Bleu chef with her.  
  
While those two get some snacks going, Stiles says to Jackson, “Get more bandages.” As he fetches them, Stiles asks Isaac, “Help me move him so we can change his clothes and sheets?”  
  
It’s a start, and Stiles is willing to stick it out for as long as he needs to. He’s got a baby in his belly and his heart on a platter, and he just can’t lose Derek now. Not when he knows there’s a chance, a big, very good, amazing chance that they’ll work out and be alright.  
  
It’s the least he can do to keep from going insane or worse – _exploding_  
.   
***  
  
Scott calls the next day.   
  
Stiles picks up the phone, tells Isaac to watch Derek and then goes into the bathroom down the hall. He answers the phone with a “Hello?” and admits at least to himself, that he sounds terrible. He didn’t sleep at all last night which isn’t good from the baby, he’s sure.   
  
“Stiles?” comes the incredulous response. “But I thought we weren’t-”  
  
“You aren’t,” Stiles admits. “But I taught Isaac well, so. Progress?” He rubs at his face and sits on the toilet. The lights are low and if he looks in the mirror, he’ll look like a ghost.  
  
“Kinda? They nabbed Danny – _don’t_ tell Isaac, we’re getting him back as we speak – and we’re looking for that hunter’s bullet stash. “It’s, it’s slow going but… we’ll have it by the end of the week.” There’s a pause and all Stiles can hear is Scott breathing. “How is he?”  
  
Three words, those three words hold so much pan and wondering and Stiles loses it. He slides to the floor, to the space between the toilet and the shower and sobs like he hasn’t allowed himself to, because he’s just losing it all. “ _God_ , he’s worse. Scott he’s so much worse. And I – I don’t know what to do. How have the others been at it for two weeks? I can’t last two _days_.”  
  
“I know man,” Scott says comfortingly.  
  
“I mean,” and Stiles hiccups through the tears. “I – I can’t do this without him. _I can’t_. Not alone, not with anyone else.”  
  
“I know, trust me Stiles,” Scott answers.  
  
“You don’t know Scott! No one knows. It’s not just my life I’m talking about! You don’t understand-”  
  
“I do though,” Scott says lowly. “Deaton called me on Monday and told me.” Stiles feels the breath slam out of him. “He said you needed someone in the Pack to help you tell Derek. He didn’t know we weren’t home and we’re trying to keep as many people out of this as possible, so I didn’t tell him.” And isn’t that so like Deaton, making sure Stiles won’t be alone, no matter if he tells or not. “Um… congrats? Does this mean that I’m an uncle?” Scott asks awkwardly.  
  
Stiles hiccups and laughs which kind of hurts. “Yeah, you are. And thanks.” His hand goes unconsciously down to his lower abdomen and gently rubs. “Man this is all screwed up.”  
  
“Yeah it is. Dude I’m sorry, if I hadn’t asked you to cover for me all that time ago-”  
  
“Then I would never have met Derek and where would I be now?” Stiles finishes. He lets his head loll against the shower door and sighs, a tear sliding down his cheek and under his shirt collar.   
  
“Um, in college with a semi-stable job, single and not pregnant?” Scott tries and then they both start to laugh because it sounds preposterous. Stiles, not part of the Pack? It’s just not plausible now.  
  
“I gotta go, Stiles,” Scott says after a brief moment of silence. “See you soon, alright? We’ll get through this.”  
  
“OK,” Stiles answers. He’s still on the floor when Scott hangs up, even when Isaac knocks on the bathroom door.  
  
“Stiles? He’s asking for you,” Isaac says.   
  
Stiles allows himself to be hauled up and off the floor and stumbles as he runs to Derek’s room, Isaac on his heels. And Derek is murmuring his name, his head twitching to either side. Stiles hops on the bed next to him and cradles his head in his lap.   
  
“S-stiles, _stiles_ ,” Derek mutter, a bit delirious. There are dark smudges under his eyes, his skin is pale and gaunt. It’s terrible.  
  
“Hey I’m right here, I’m right here Derek,” Stiles murmurs, running fingers through his hair. He swallows hard against the lump in his throat, threatening to make him cry. “Derek?”  
  
And Derek is so still, so pale, so sick. Stiles peels the covers back to find that the poison is getting so close; Derek maybe has a day left, two at the most if they’re luck. Scott’s not going to make it in time. He won’t and Stiles doesn’t think he can live with that.   
  
“S-sorry,” Derek says, coughs, still can’t open his eyes. He swallows, his throat making a dry clicking sound. “So sorry. My _mate_. Sorry.”  
  
Stiles gets. Stiles really gets it. “You’re not dying,” he insists. “You can’t. You’ve got so much to live for. We _both_ do.”  
  
Derek doesn’t respond, just sort of wilts against him and stops moving. Stiles stomach drops and Isaac does this little sad howling thing that makes Boyd, Erica and Jackson run in and stare at his still form in horror. Isaac doesn’t stop. Stiles can’t take it.  
  
“ _No_ , no you’re not _dying_ on me, no!” Stiles says, shaking his limp body. “You can’t, you can’t,” he sobs. “How am I supposed to do this alone? You’ve got so much to live for, you jerk. You’re gonna be a _dad_!” Stiles yells, slapping Derek across the face, hard.   
  
The other man mumbles as he moves, and Stiles breathes a sigh of relief. “How am I supposed to take care of a baby by myself? Never mind a wolf one?” Stiles asks quietly. “I’ll probably forget to feed them or something,” he says, wiping his face and watching as Derek’s breathing evens out. They’re safe – for now. Stiles looks up, asking Jackson to pass over the bandages, but everyone is staring at him. “What?”  
  
“You – you said he was… does that mean you’re - ?” Isaac stutters out, gesturing to Stiles’ stomach. “How does that even…?”  
  
Stiles doesn’t want to explain, so he takes the easy way out and says, “Alpha mates turn special. Trust me, it can happen and it _did_ happen.”  
  
There’s a moment of silence and then Jackson says, “Um, congratulations? I guess…?”  
  
“Yay babies!” Erica intones after him. Boyd gives her a look. “What? I didn’t mean for us. I’m sure Derek and Stiles can give the Pack a nice litter in a few years without you having to life your dick to put it in me.”  
  
This causes Isaac to make a face, Boyd to roll his eyes and Jackson to mutter, “TMI bitch.” Erica just looks smug and hands over the bandages to help Stiles rewrap Derek’s ankle.   
  
Well. That went…. Well. Better than expected.   
  
***  
  
Derek really doesn’t have two days. He’s got one and a quarter and he stops being lucid on top of it all. Not like he was much before, but still.   
  
Scott hasn’t called him back and it’s not the end of the week, bit it’s the end of the line for Derek and they’ll need something short of a miracle at this point. Stiles still hopes though and stares at his phone and Derek, willing the phone to ring and Derek to wake up.  
  
“C’mon Scott,” Stiles murmurs.   
  
And then he hears, “We got it!” coming from down the hall and when Stiles next looks in, Scott is through the door, bulled in a gloved hand, everyone else following behind. And he means everyone else. Behind Scott, who’s bleeding and healing, is Allison, knuckles, fingers and wrists bleeding, a gash on her head. Lydia has not a scratch on her and Danny’s got a few bruises, probably from the kidnapping. The rest of the wolves crowd in behind them.  
  
“God, I owe you so much,” Stiles says as he goes up to hug Scott. It’s  tight and a relief from the week’s stress.  
  
“He’s my Alpha too,” Scott says and the others voice their agreement. Stiles could cry; he’d forgotten what a Pack was like. Damn it, he missed it. “We gotta do this now,” Scott adds and Stiles takes the bullet, demanding Lydia or one of the other humans pull Derek’s bandage off.  
  
“Oh baby, this is gonna hurt,” Stiles says as Boyd sets the wolf bane alight, turning it into ash and then Stiles scoops it up onto his fingers and jams  the mess into Derek’s open wound, the ghastly, pulpy, infected wound that hasn’t been able to heal.  
  
Nothing happens for a full minute until Derek’s skin begins to smoke and he screams blood murder, thrashing so much that Scott snatches Stiles away from the bed. Did he do something wrong, Stiles wonders? Is this his fault, like he fears?  
  
“Oh shit, what did I do?” he moans.  
  
“No wait. Look,” Allison says and all of the blankets are off Derek so his body is visible. And the black lines are slowly going down, Derek’s body batting the deadly plant in his system. It’s working; Derek is _healing_.  
  
Stiles rewraps Derek’s ankle then lays beside him for a moment. Someone says, “Sleep,” and someone else covers him with a blanket and with Derek, warm and alive beside him, Stiles feels like he can do just that.  
  
So he does.  
  
The last words he hears are Scott whispering something to the girls on the way out and Lydia shrieking, “Stiles is having a _baby?_ ”    
  
Oh well. He knows Scott would open his mouth at some point. Figures its after everyone is safe. And the strange part is, Stiles can live with that. With them knowing. The baby’s going to definitely be a part of their lives anyway.  
  
So he sleeps. _Finally_.  
  
***  
  
Stiles wakes up first and decides to stick around instead of getting up and looking for coffee – which, consequentially he can’t have anymore. He can barely make out the noise of the other wolves, witch and humans who stayed the night making their way to the kitchen for breakfast and caffeine.   
  
Stiles sits up and moves over to Derek, whose neck is at an uncomfortable angel. He straightens him out and pillows Derek’s head on his lap. The wolf’s breathing has evened out and is unhindered. There’s color making its way back into his cheeks and when Stiles peeks under the bed clothes, he can see that the poison has moved down to only Derek’s injured leg, and even that looks better.  
  
“I’m dead,” he hears, and when Stiles looks up, Derek is looking at him with wary and weary eyes.  
  
“I – what? That’s your first thought? That I’m here because you’re dead?” he squeaks.  
  
“No. That I’m in Hell and the Devil is torturing me with what I can’t have,” Derek corrects softy.  
  
Stiles frowns. “You’re not _dead_ , Derek.”  
  
Derek seems a bit relieved by that. “Oh. Then I’m just dreaming.” And yet, he sounds even sadder.  
Stiles makes a frustrated sound. If he’s being honest with himself, it kind of sounds like a dying animal. “Wow. We’re gonna have to have a conversation about your self-esteem later,” he says, rubbing at Derek’s temples. Derek’s doing the dignified dog version of purring. His leg might even be moving. It’s cute as all hell. “You’re not dreaming either, Derek.”  
  
Derek freezes. “You’re actually _here_?” Every muscle in his body pulls taught. Then his face shuts down and he grates out, “I _told_ them not to call you-”  
  
“- and they _didn’t_ ,” Stiles says, holding Derek still by his shoulders. He’d been trying to get away. “I called. Then I got worried because Isaac was hiding something. I don’t need to be a wolf to know when that pup is lying.” Derek is silent, listening, so Stiles continues. “And then you were – you were _dying_ ,” Stiles chokes out. He smack’s Derek’s forehead and the man flinches. Stiles doesn’t care. He keeps going. “What is _wrong_ with you? Telling them not to call me when you’re _dying?_ Are you out of your ever-loving mind? Jesus Derek, what the hell am I supposed to do? I know we were mad at each other and we had out secrets, but shit. I love you, you idiot. I don’t care that you’re the Alpha; I get why you didn’t say anything. And obviously you got over my deception if you were going to make amends like the Pack says you were. So don’t you-” And Stiles is choking  on his tears now, Derek responding by putting a hand on his arm and pressing his face to Stiles’ stomach. “Don’t you ever do that _again_ , not to me, don’t you _dare_. I can’t take that.” A tear escapes and slides down his cheek, stopping to drop off his chin and splash onto Derek’s forehead.   
  
Stupid, traitorous hormones.  
  
“Stiles, I’m sorry,” Derek whispers against his shirt. “You know I love you, that never changes-” He stops and takes a deep breath of Stiles’ scent. Derek makes a face. “Why do I smell me on you?”  
  
“I’ve been here for three days Derek, of course I – whoa!” he exclaims as Derek lifts his shirt and presses his nose to Stiles’ skin. “Derek what are you _doing?_ ”  
  
“No, your _skin_ smells like me. Like a mix of me and you, but unless you’ve been rubbing up against me, you shouldn’t smell like me. The last time we had sex was at least-”  
  
“A month and a half ago,” Stiles says, resigned as he realizes what exactly it is that Derek is smelling. “Derek, Derek look we have to discuss a few things.”  
  
“God it’s _everywhere_ ,” Derek groans as he sits up and wriggles his way out of Stiles’ grasp, quiet easily actually. He straightens out on the bed belly down and sniffs at Stiles’ crotch, gets back up and flips him, smells down his back. Derek can easily move the upper half of his body, but his hurt leg is stretched out behind him out of harm’s way. His face has made it to Stiles’ ass and it’s good to know that not much has changed. Derek seems to think that’s the source of the scent. “ _Mine_ ,” he growls.  
  
And that’s how Stiles knows he’s been forgiven, that Derek has accepted that Stiles has forgiven him, and that he really needs to say what he needs to say. “Yeah, _yes_ ,” Stiles murmurs. “ _Yours_. _Both_ of us.”  
  
Derek stops, lifts his head and says fragilely, “ _What?_ ” Stiles closes his eyes, doesn’t answer. So Derek slowly flips him over, wincing as a twinge goes through his leg. “Stiles.”  
  
“You’re straining yourself,” Stiles whispers, eyes still closed. “Lay down before you pull something.”  
  
“Not until you tell me what you meant,” Derek responds and then he’s pulling down Stiles’ collar, mouthing at the scar-like pink mark on Stiles’ collar bone. And shit, Stiles thought he’d gotten away with this when they’d had that death scare and he’d blurted it out. He knew Derek couldn’t hear him the first time, he’d just been trying to get out of delivering the news the second time.  
  
Stiles finally opens his eyes and is met with Derek’s bright green irises. He takes a deep breath and just says it. “I’m pregnant,” and his voice goes up an octave and he sounds so amazed because it _is_ amazing.  
  
Derek doesn’t move away, doesn’t run or yell, but his next breath does get caught in his throat and he looks like he’s been caught off guard and he probably has is the thing. And Stiles isn’t really scared anymore. Not when Derek is looking at him like that.   
  
With _hope_ s.  
  
“It’s… you _are_ …?” Derek whispers reverently. Before Stiles answers, Derek cocks his head to the side and says, “ _You are_.” The next thing Stiles knows, Derek’s lifting his shirt again and pressing his ear to Stiles’ lover abdomen. He lets out a choked gasp, maybe a sob, and says softly, “I – I can hear their _heartbeat_.”  
  
Stiles gets all choked up too, watching Derek lay there with his ear to his stomach. “Deaton say we wouldn’t be able to hear it for a few more weeks. “  
  
“Deaton doesn’t have ears like I do,” Derek whispers against his skin. “It’s so _strong_ ,” he marvels. When he looks up at Stiles, his eyes are watery and he looks dumbfounded. “H-how many months?”  
  
“A little over two,” Stiles says. “So probably not the last time, but a time or two before that. I’m – I’m due in November.”  
  
“Were you ever going to tell me if none of this ever happened?” Derek asks, still listening to Stiles’ stomach, to that tiny heartbeat.  
  
“Yes,” Stiles swears. “God yes, that’s why I called in the first place. I – I only found out about two weeks ago, and I needed time to sort it out because … stuff like this doesn’t _happen_ to my gender.”  
  
“I know,” Derek murmurs against warm skin. “I’m sorry.”  
  
“No. You don’t apologize for this,” Stiles says. “You don’t apologize for our baby. You apologize for failing to tell me that you could knock me up after the first time.”  
  
“Then I’m sorry for that. In my defense, I would have gotten to it, but I thought you didn’t want this anymore,” Derek says. Stiles hears the unspoken ‘didn’t want _me_ ’ in there. That’s heartbreaking.  
  
“I will always want you,” Stiles says and Derek doesn’t answer him. “And I will always want _this_.”   
  
Derek won’t say anything for a while. Then he says, “Scott explained it to me. What you did for him… that’s what Pack is for and … I am sor-”  
  
“Apologize one more time for something you’ve already apologized and went through hell for and I will revoke your baby listening rights.” Stiles says. He’s kidding though and Stiles knows that Derek gets it because he can feel his mouth curve into a smile where its once again pressed against his stomach. “If anyone should be apologizing,” Stiles continues, “It’s me. What I did-”  
  
“Don’t,” Derek murmurs. “I think we’ve both been through enough. And I forgave you the moment I was alone and realized how stupid I was being. You’re… you’re my mate.” He’s careful saying it though, as if Stiles could possibly contest that.  
  
“I’m your mate,” Stiles confirms. “And this?” he says, a hand over Derek’s on his stomach, “this is ours. This is _my_ promise to _you_.”  
  
It was just like when Derek marked him. That promise, it means a lot. Stiles feels Derek nod, mouth the words, “Okay, okay,” against his skin and that’s it. It’s resolved. Stiles knows they’ll be fine.  
  
They stay in bed for the rest of the afternoon, then head downstairs for lunch. After all, one of them is eating for _two_.


	9. And This Is The End. Pretend There's A Soccer Montage Or Something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greateness and some have greatness thrust upon them.
> 
> Or, the end of the story where there are pregnant dudes and Derek and Stiles' baby is pretty damn great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact About Me: The Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare was the play that She's The Man Is Based Off Of.
> 
> It's also my favorite play by Shakespeare.

“You’re coddling me again,” Stiles says, trying to get past Derek, whose hands are currently wrapped around his waist. He kisses Stiles to distract him and then takes the plates he’d been carrying out. “ _Coddling_ ,” Stiles insists as Derek puts the plates on the kitchen counter of the Hale House.   
  
“Let me look at you,” Derek says, and Stiles can hear the grin in his voice, so he sighs and turns around. Derek’s grin grows to a smile full of teeth and his hands go to either side of Stiles’ swollen belly. He drops to his knees then, keeping  his hands in place, and Stiles can only sigh affectionately. Derek lifts his already tight shirt and presses his ear to the taught skin of Stiles’ stomach. Stiles can feel their child moving in him, responding to their father’s presence.  
  
“ _Derek_ ,” he says, fondly exasperated.   
  
“Shh,” is the response. “I want her to know my voice.” It’s been Derek’s only excuse to do this since they found out they were having a girl. “Hey Laura,” he whispers against Stiles’ stomach. “Hey baby-girl, I can hear you too. You be good for Mom, yeah? He’s been keeping you safe for us.”  
  
“And _you’ve_ been keeping me safe,” Stiles says softly, his hands in Derek’s hair.  
  
“That I have,” Derek murmurs, pressing kisses to the stretch-marks on his sides, the ones he’s learned to get over because Derek loves the evidences that Stiles is carrying their healthy, strong unborn child.   
  
“Oh god, not this again,” Jackson intones as he comes inside, snatching the abandoned plates. “No wonder the others wanted me to come inside. Those eavesdroppers.”  
  
“You’re just jealous,” Stiles says.  
  
“Of Derek feeling you up? Yeah, no. Not really,” Jackson says, leaving.  
  
“Of our _love_!” Stiles yells after him. Jackson shoots him the one finger salute as he disappears outside where the rest of the Pack is lounging around by a fire pit. “Gotta teach that pup some manners,” Stiles mutters.  
  
“Oh, I’m sure Lydia is all over that,” Derek says and Stiles feels his mouth curve into a wicked grin against his skin.   
  
They do get their act together though and they head outside, Derek’s eyes on Stiles watching him religiously to be sure he doesn’t hurt himself or the baby accidentally.  
  
“Ok babe, I know I’m accident prone, but that’s usually only when people are trying to kill me. I’m fairly certain that that’s not happening right now,” Stiles whines as Derek helps him sit in a chair. He sighs in relief, rubbing his lower back. “Oh god kid, let up on me just a little.” He gets a kick to the diaphragm as a response and yelps. “Ok, ok, never mind.”  
  
Derek just grins as he sits beside him and takes his hand while Erica asks, “You’re huge and you’re how many month? 12?” There’s a sly grin on her face.  
  
“Oh ha-ha. I’m 8 months. Which you know because you keep a calendar, so do us all a favor and don’t pretend you’re unaware. _Liar_ ,” Stiles responds.  
  
“You sure there’s only one in there?” Scott asks, genuinely a bit concerned. Allison rolls her eyes and hits him on the head.   
  
“Yes, Dr. McCall. We’re sure,” and Stiles gives Derek’s hand a squeeze as he nods.  
  
“Just saying,” Scott mutters as he rubs his head.  
  
“Yeah. Just saying that I’m _fat_ ,” Stiles says, just to see the look of horror on his best friend’s face. It’s quite entertaining.  
  
“What? No! _No_ , that was so not what I meant, um, _no_ ,” Scott says, tripping over his own words. “I didn’t-”  He stops when Stiles starts to laugh, and sighs. “Man, don’t _do_ that.”  
  
“But it’s _great_ to watch your face,” Stiles says with a boyish grin. Derek tries to stifle a chuckle, but it doesn’t work and Scott turns red in the face as his Alpha laughs at him.  
  
And it’s nice. It’s the day before Halloween, there’s a breeze that makes the fire flicker, Stiles is bundled up and Derek is a line of heat at his side. He’s content, he’s in pain –   
  
He’s in _pain_.  
  
Pain jack-knifes up Stiles’ abdomen, his mouth watering then drying out. It comes again, his whole stomach cramping up and holy shit, Stiles thinks he might be dying. Which is A Very Bad Thing.  
  
“Stiles?” Derek asks; because he can smell the pain, can hear his heart pick up, his breath harsh. “What’s wrong?”  
  
“Hurts,” Stiles says, a hand to his swollen abdomen, shifting in his chair as all the breath is knocked out of him. “Shit. _Really_ hurts.”  
  
Derek’s kneeling in front of him, an ear to his stomach, his face drawn as he listens. Everyone else shifts nervously, looking to one another. It had been going so well, it’s hard to believe it’s going wrong now, when they’re so close to the end.  
  
After a few moments, Derek stands up and smiles, though he looks a bit worried. “Nothing’s wrong… besides the fact that the baby is coming a month ahead of schedule.”  
  
Everyone is shocked into silence until Stiles lets out a yelp and struggles to stand, saying, “What the hell people? Do your jobs and get me to Deaton!” They had a plan since the birth obviously had to be a caesarian-section, so Deaton knew what was going down. Only it would be done much sooner, instead of in the extra month they thought they had.   
  
Derek gets Stiles to the Jeep (more family-friendly, Stiles claims) while Scott called Deaton and ran ahead to help him set-up. The girls grab his bags, and Danny is called so he knows where to meet them and when.   
  
Stiles hates pretty much everything right now.  
  
“Just – um, keep breathing and – uh,” Derek says, driving like a mad man. He can’t drive the Jeep for shit, still too accustomed to the low-riding Camaro.  
  
“ _Shut up_!” Stiles snaps. He’s got sweat breaking out on his forehead and he haunches over every time he’s hit by a contraction. “Stop talking. I love you, but you need to shut up and _drive!_ ” He yells the last part since he’s riding on a contraction and Derek gets the message, stomping on the gas.  
  
They make it to Deaton’s five minutes later and Derek’s out of the car and carrying Stiles into the vet’s hospital in record time.  
  
“What happened?” Deaton asks. Scott’s there, helping lay Stiles down. Everything’s ready and Stiles never doubted Deaton. The guy’s always prepared.  
  
“I don’t know, she just wants out,” Derek says. When Deaton stops him from going in after Stiles though, he growls. “Hey.”  
  
“We’re performing surgery and you’re not sterile. The second she’s out, we’ll let you in to cut the cord. Till then, you can start getting into scrubs.”  
  
Derek nods and the door closes, and Stiles would feel nervous if Scott hadn’t been there. As it is, they’re changing him into a robe and giving him something for the pain. He’s good. In a few hours, he’s going to meet his baby girl.  
  
If only it was that easy.  
  
***  
  
It takes longer than expected to get Stiles under enough to start the operation, and by the time they get her out, it’s already the next day. He’s home now, snuggled in bed with Derek and their cub. He’s exhausted, but God, it’s so worth it. Laura Amelie Hale-Stilinski, born 12:13 AM October 31st. She’s small, with blotchy skin and a little button nose like Stiles’, but she’s got a face like Derek’s and a dark swatch of hair sticking up in tufts at the top of her head. Her eyes are light, but green around the edges and Stiles knows they’re going to be the same shade as Derek’s.   
  
“She’s gorgeous,” Derek says softly beside him.  
  
“She looks like _you_ , of course she’s gorgeous,” Stiles responds with a smile. Laura makes a face in her sleep and Stiles gives a chuckle. She’s swaddled up in a blanket in Stiles’ arms and Derek’s got an arm around Stiles where they are, laying in bed. It’s comfortable and close, and Stiles kind of wants to cry because this is a lot more than he thought he’d ever get out of life.  
  
“Thank you,” Derek says suddenly, trailing a finger softly down their baby’s cheek.  
  
“For what?” Stiles asks, actually confused. What the hell is Derek going on about now?   
  
“For giving me a family again,” Derek answers. He presses his nose to Stiles’ temple then kisses his cheek softly, and Stiles is reminded of the woman that they named their daughter after: Derek’s older sister Laura. The same sister that the old Alpha, Peter, had killed to get his power from, the same Alpha that Derek had killed in retaliation of his sister. Really, they’d started all of this and this was the ending to all the bloodshed. Stiles thinks it’s a pretty ok ending.  
  
“Well then, thank you for doing the same,” Stiles replies. He thinks of his mom, Amelie Stilinski, and how they gave their daughter her name as well.  In one fell swoop, they’d both honored the most important women in their lives.   
  
Derek sighs and kisses Stiles’ forehead, then bends down and kisses Laura’s little apple-red cheek. Her face crinkles before smoothing out again, and Derek smiles. It’s one of the most beautiful things Stiles has ever seen and he’s pretty sure that will never change.   
  
Derek gets out of bed and stretches, turning around to look at Stiles and give him a satisfied smile. “I’m going down for coffee. Care to join me?” They’re the only ones in the house for the first week of Laura’s life. Deaton had recommended it so that she could get used to her parents’ scents and not get them jumbled up with the other wolves’.   
  
Stiles grins at him and slowly gets out of bed, wary of his stitches and the baby in his arms. He readjusts his grip on her, makes sure his arm is fully supporting her neck, then throws Derek a smile as the older man walks over and wraps an arm around his waist, nuzzling at his neck on the side where the baby’s head is in the crook of Stiles’ arm.    
  
Stiles grins. “Don’t mind if I – if _we_ do.”  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, well. That's the end, I guess. Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
